Ensconced

A means of confinement...
or a place of safety?

A clay female torso surrounded by wire netting, painted in neutral colours
A clay female torso surrounded by wire netting, painted in neutral colours
A clay female torso surrounded by wire netting, painted in neutral colours
A clay female torso surrounded by wire netting, painted in neutral colours
A clay female torso surrounded by wire netting, painted in neutral colours
A clay female torso surrounded by wire netting, painted in neutral colours

2024 Air-hardening clay, wire netting and acrylic paint on oak plinth

'Ensconced' explores the concept of the 'comfort zone' - represented as a tangible space - and its occupant's unwillingness or inability to vacate it. The figure is inextricably fused with the wire structure, essentially ensconced within a state of mind that finds comfort in the familiar and the unchallenging. Paradoxically, the figure's safe haven appears to be a form of cage; the implication being that despite the peace of mind one might find within it, one's comfort zone, is effectively, a means of confinement.

'Ensconced' was part of the group exhibition 'Art as a Response to Mental Health', June/July 2024 - Doncaster Art Fair.
Featured work, 'Artists of The Season' Winter 2024, Art from Heart CIC, London.