CAITLIN BOWE (SA) - KEEP US FAR FROM HARM AND FAULT

Front GALLERY: 4th - 20th april 2019

Personal physical trauma sits at the centre of my work. After an accident which has caused permanent damage to my left arm and shoulder, I look to interpret my bodily trauma and fear through the lens of the superstitions and mythologies of my Celtic heritage. Creating sculptural forms through life casting and textile techniques, I blend superstitious and mythological symbols and objects with a Victorian Gothic aesthetic. The resulting abhuman forms (occupying a space between the human and nonhuman) are both unsettling and enticing as they draw the viewer into a space of uncertainty.

After a residency at Studio Kura in Itoshima, Japan, my work has begun to focus on the idea of protective superstition in response to trauma. I interpret these superstitions as a result of trauma, that these objects and symbols can, in some way, give us power over a world so often out of our control. Combining ideas of protection from Japanese, Celtic, and Victorian Gothic superstitions, I look to create sculptural objects which form connections between trauma and the need for safety.