Background of ZaphAura Handmade
As a maker, I have over 40 years of experience working in all different mediums. I love stuff, be it clay, fabric, wood, stone, metal or snow, anything that I can touch and manipulate. My practice is very much about the physical properties of the materials and the relationship I have with each piece while I make it.
I have both a BA and MA in Fine Art Sculpture and I gained some invaluable skills whilst studying in the bronze casting foundry but it all happened as a by product of my innate need to play, to mess around with stuff. There was no career path, I was just doing what I am compelled to do...make.
After loosing my two feline soul mates after almost twenty years together, I didn't make anything for a long time, years. Fate intervened when I had an occasion to meet some rescue cats from Cyprus and Tunisia. I wanted to capture their characters and began to crochet. That led to me working with other materials again. ZaphAura is a combinations of their names and everything I make now is dedicated to my two girls.
Recent work
My most recent body of work developed after crocheting cute characters based on Tunisian rescue cats. One material will often lead to another as I explore the process of changing from soft to hard, solid or liquid.
I decided to make plaster cast of the crochet objects , hoping to keep the texture of yarn but seeing how this translates it into a hard ceramic form.
I am still trying different types of clay bodies and glazes to see what enhances or obscures the texture but mostly use Porcelain or Parian casting slip.
I also like to give my little cats homes which in this case come in the form of bowls .......why not?