FRONT GALLERY: AlISON SMILES & SOPHIA PHILLIPS (SA) ) TOOLS OF SELF

In building these forms, I press a cheek or a nose into the world with a knuckle or a finger from the inside of the form to present itself on the outside. Allowing light to spill from these forms, I see the internal energy of the self reflecting onto others, and in turn their own light reflected back, bringing the self into being. The energy exchanged between bodies allows us to be remembered, experienced. I seek to capture this process into a permanent material as a testament to the importance of these transient exchanges. – Alison Smiles

For me, this body of work has been about developing a sense of personal mythology. Without always meaning to I have captured the way I see the world working – for instance my use of black, white and grey is an aesthetic decision, but also links quite closely to my own tendency towards reductive thinking and the repeated realization that in fact, the world is one big figurative grey area. By combining individual components that wear the marks of my body with other found and made materials I want to create pieces that can be worn, handled and imagined on the body. – Sophia Phillip