Erum Amir
Being a physicist and now a ceramicist, Erum has always wanted to smudge the division between art and science. She is fascinated by how nature constructs something atom by atom or cell by cell and how the patterns that lay regularly deep down in matter and living organisms, create irregular forms and shapes. She is especially inspired by the details which are hidden from the naked eye, and she explore these details through the eye of a microscope. The great collection of microscopic slides, available at the Herbarium of the Manchester museum, have provided Erum with the opportunity to look through hundreds of specimens made by the botanists of the late seventeenth century. These microscopic studies enable the artist to establish that nature is as beautiful inside as it is on the outside and incite her to create porcelain sculptures which are a fusion of these scientific realities and her own imaginative interpretations.
“My practice exhibits the work made by hand without use of any technologies. I work directly with porcelain clay, with a very limited use of tools or equipment which helps me to create a mutual understanding between me and my chosen medium. The way I use porcelain is challenging as I keep it very thin which helps me to create a sense of fragility and movement in my work. I do not really design things before I start making them as I prefer to let the ideas happen during the slow making and thinking process. In my work, there’s always repetition of a single or multiple elements which mimic the process of growth. I like this repetitive action – it is not a thoughtless activity but is meditative and comforting. Moreover, the repetitive nature of bringing together many components creates a rhythm and facilitates an active trance of intention."
