Wish

An installation of 1001 porcelain hand made birds. Each individual bird has been drawn on with cobalt oxide and each mark is a reflection to the marks found pointing out construction information.

Thin slabs of porcelain are rolled out and left to stiffen slightly. Then they are cut and folded to create a representation of a bird, modeled head and beak drawn out. Using colbalt oxide on paper the process of mono-printing takes place to transfer a series of marks that form a dialogue across the body.

1001 porcelain birds

“Make a WISH and then form 1000 birds” the small child told me. "It will come true !".

There is a story in China where a mother was very ill and the daughter was told to make and wish and 1000 birds. She wished for her mother to recover from the illness and live and through the processes of making 1000 origami birds her wish arrived. This idea was taken to Japan and is used to symbolically signify hope and life as a protest to the nucleaar bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

I took the number 1001 to add the idea of reflecting upon life and humanity.

London Royal Hospital

Along the corridors of London Royal Hospital line the 1001 porcelain birds in a wave of flight permanently representing hope and life.