current exhibitions

Carolyn Tripp (London, england)

“Each piece I make is different. All thrown in my Wimbledon Studio and decorated using screen printed ceramic transfer. All tell a piece of my story, the things I remember, that I notice, the things that I love. My work centres around what it is to be human; to love and to loose. Each piece stands alone but also works well in groupings.”

Pulling Threads fuses my passion for nature with my personal bodily experiences. This collection explores how a neurological disorder can affect the way one moves their body through the world, highlighting themes of privacy, vulnerability, disguise and the sensation of cling.

Having Sensory Processing Disorder makes the act of wearing any given garment different, complex, and often uncomfortable. I find that the most intricate relationship I must navigate in life is with clothing. Living with SPD has piqued my interest in naturally developed textiles, more specifically how moths use their silk to enclose themselves in a protective outerwear that is essentially a disguise, a distraction from what is occurring underneath.

My body is only comfortable when I have access to space. It is for this reason that I find the moth’s cocoon form so enticing. It appeals to me on a comfort level, I see it as a safe space. A loose shirt and pants, a cocoon encasing the body in a way that is presentable, yet comfortable. A shell which encloses and protects but also allows movement is what I find not only comfortable but is in fact the only thing I find acceptable.

While I see the cocoon as a safe space, I see the moths as the epitome of vulnerability. The spread wings express freedom of the body, a creature with nothing to be added to them, nothing weighing them down physically or emotionally. Nothing consuming their every thought, mindlessly ruminating over comfort and presentation. They are both what I fear most and what I wish I could be.