Folklore and fairytales meet science fiction in crafted objects with an imagined purpose, imbued with meaning and personality, symbolism and intrigue. Constructed from coloured and mirrored glass, carved and engraved with personal motifs, and assembled with vernacular materials, these are ‘folk-futurist’ devices to heal the mind.

For this residency I would like to develop new pieces following on from my series of work Coping Mechanisms, initially created for the Jerwood Art Fund Makers Open (JAFMO). Coping Mechanisms are a series of glass healing devices that draw on folklore, mythology and medical history to imagine ways to treat emotional ailments. Using hand-blown and coldworked techniques, assembled glass and mixed-media elements create complex multi-layered sculptures. Feathers, mirrors and mark-making reoccur throughout the work, referencing the symbolic presence of these in both fairytales and rituals across the globe, often as a way to connect to other worlds or see things differently.

The AA2A residency would enable me to experiment with ideas and develop techniques and forms further in the hot glass studio, creating component parts that can be assembled into final sculptural pieces, as well as elements that can be used in the future. I would love to develop pieces that can be exhibited as installations in the gallery spaces at the National Glass Centre.