“Clay has a long history of bridging the relationship between the earth and human beings. My works are collaborations. My works have a two-part creation story, first by the earth and then by me. In the contemporary world, mass production and consumption contribute to a growing disconnect between human and non-human beings, which causes complacency in the pernicious culture of pollution and waste; restoration of one’s sense of awe for the mystical can replenish the thoughts of sacredness and respect for the non-being. The roots of my practice are led by an understanding of the entanglement of nature and the divine and a return to the symbiotic and harmonious relationship between all things. The ceramic works give space to reflect one’s understanding of the mystic; my heritage and the hybridization and renewal of ecological spirituality and ancient knowledge inspire each work. I see them not as an artifact of the past but as a blueprint for the future.

I thank Papatūānuku as she is the land I work with; I thank her for growing and nurturing all the material I could work with and creating the clay I can use from Te Auaunga. Although the flora used has sacred importance, they are invasive within Aotearoa. Any invasive species that were not within control in gardens were removed after harvest, and only what was needed was harvested for the clay. The harmonious and sustainable relationship with her is a priority within my practice.”