A person is the sum total of his/her experiences. For me, origins do not have the same impact as identity. I identify strongly with New Zealand and its place in the Pacific and aim to reflect this in my work.
Spirals of all kinds, fern fronds, how they unfurl, and koru, representing new life and rebirth, have long fascinated me as potent images for their graphic nature as well as their symbolic meanings.
I have enjoyed carving these patterns on wheel-thrown bowls. Moving slightly away from spirals, some of my bowls have been inspired by Tapa cloths of the Pacific.
My sculptural work also incorporated these elements and has been evolving through organic shapes to vessels evoking journeys to new lives, reflecting the migratory nature of this country, and the similarity of symbols and patterns in different cultures.
I tend to work in series, which then evolve. For the last couple of years, my coil-built sculptural pieces have become humanoid, but not really human, or birds. Anatomical correctness is not my aim, I merely want to convey their essence. My latest series are Amazons, representing the mental strength women need to survive in this world.
Pots by Aimée 