Colonial Cutlery

2021

Exhibited for ‘From Little Things’ at Brunswick St Gallery, Melbourne, part of Radiant Pavilion Festival 2021

Materials: Found objects, cast bronze

Colonial Cutlery is a development of work made during a residency in India (2018) that focused on the ‘Dhokra’ art-form and process; one of the earliest known techniques of lost-wax metal casting. The research and work made during this time continues to be a major focus in my practice.

Each stainless steel part was collected, modified and joined to a cast bronze head, repurposing the original utensil and embedding it with a new storyline. These functional objects investigate mixed heritage and cultural displacement. The making process resulted in a greater understanding of Colonialism and the complex relationships dynamics that exist as an outcome.

In creating this body of work I began unpacking my ancestry and identity; feelings of belonging to multiple cultures and being disconnected and connected to both.