
a celebration of the whole community of the school
The ceramic meadow at St Lawrence school was a celebration of the whole community of the school and its connection with the local area.
I wanted the community of the school to create a calm, peaceful space – different from the vibrant, busy classrooms and corridors of the school. I wanted to embrace being outside, and give the kids a sense of influence over this environment.
kate mcminnies ceramics
symbiosis
symbiosis
This body of work investigates ideas around symbiosis - the positive outcomes that happen when different materials, people & objects interact, collaborate and support each other.
In these sculptures all three materials work together - the balance, tension and partnership between the clay, wood and steel enables the sculpture to work.
The base of the sculptures are oak. They are black because I have used Yakisugi (also known as Shou sugi ban) - a centuries-old technique that began in Japan. It involves charring the surface of wood to make it more resistant to moisture and more durable as a whole. The carbon layer is extremely water-resistant; when the wood is being charred, the pores within the wood start to shrink and close making it more difficult for the wood to soak up and take on water.






