Solitude

For the air is sweet with silence

Clay sculpture of a female figure with hands gently placed on chest, surrounded by wire netting.
Clay sculpture of a female figure with hands gently placed on chest, surrounded by wire netting.
Clay sculpture of a female figure with hands gently placed on chest, surrounded by wire netting.
Clay sculpture of a female figure with hands gently placed on chest, surrounded by wire netting.
Clay sculpture of a female figure with hands gently placed on chest, surrounded by wire netting.
Clay sculpture of a female figure with hands gently placed on chest, surrounded by wire netting.

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

'Solitude' explores the introvert's need for a period of quiet reflection, as a means of de-stressing and replenishing energy, following any challenging experience. Whilst the figure appears relaxed, having found respite in her solitude, her inward facing toes suggest an enduring vulnerability.

As with many of my sculptures, poetry played an important part in the development of this piece. Both the poem and the piece progressed in parallel, each inspiring the other, determining certain sculptural decisions, along with the corresponding poetic stance. This way of working enables me to delve further, with a view to expanding the depth of expression in my work.


Solitude

Breath deeply,
For the air is sweet with silence.
Gone, the daily tinnitus of din.
Soon you'll hear your mind's voice
Through the silence,
Enough to find the quietude within.

'Solitude' is featured in 'Women Art' Special Edition, June 2025, Collect Art, Tbilisi, Georgia.

Susan J Hart BA(Hons) MA Fine Art Based in North Lincolnshire