Spiralis

I’m repeatedly drawn to natural forms and am fascinated with growth patterns in nature, specifically the Fibonacci sequence. The spinning, spiralling nature of how ceramics is built is a parallel to these natural patterns, and for me, go concurrently with each other when I’m creating. It’s another symmetry to realise that the inspiration and the material are one in the same, as clay is the earth and therefore nature. They parallel one another and are at the core of this form’s creation and being.

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Nicola Sutcliffe is an emerging South Australian based artist working in Tarntanya (Adelaide) who creates functional and sculptural forms.

At the core of Nicola’s practice are themes of mental health, the human connection with nature, and the organic material of clay. Form and function are the foundation of her work, with tactility and material featuring in each piece. Her forms function as tactile therapy in the hope to encourage growing, learning, and mending for maker and audience alike.

Nicola’s creations are responsive works. Responsive to experiences, tactility, thoughts, emotions, and the natural world. In 2018, her final year of her undergraduate degree drew her to plants’ self-support systems, especially in times of hardship, and representations of new growth in lighter colours, smaller forms, and softer textures. Currently taking inspiration from the Fibonacci sequence, a series of mathematical numbers representing growth patterns in nature, she explores in parallel with human experience.