Clay Bodies
Material Research, Speculative Ecology, Site  

Clay Bodies was an exploration into raw London clay.

Gathering and processing clay from different sites around the city, a pot was made at each location. These small ceramic vessels formed an alternative and tactile cartography of London.

Designing processes that allowed us to engage with a mostly hidden landscape (the environment beneath our feet), Clay Bodies was an exploration into ways in which these traditional craft practices could change in a damaged and polluted environment, where our soils were contaminated.

The process of gathering a raw material to making a finished usable object, allowed us to reflect on the production and consumption of the objects currently in our lives. It also brought into question what it means to be self-sufficient within a practice, and the ethics and responsibility of care that comes with this autonomy.

As part of this project, a temporary community kiln was built along the canal where these vessels could be fired.