At first glance, you might not realize what’s in front of you. White, eerie looking seeds and pods from otherworldly plants perhaps? But upon closer look, you realize that what seems natural is actually handmade: delicate porcelain sculptures shaped like pods, seeds, twigs, and stamens.
Sarah Rayner is an artist working primarily with porcelain. Living in bushland and surrounded by flora, Rayner closely identifies with Australian native plants.
“Porcelain has its own historical and cultural references to drawing rooms, aristocracy, purity, and luxury,” she writes on her personal website. “The earthiness of plants, the interconnected eco system, decay, and the cycle of life are distilled and accentuated by the cool, clean porcelain forms with their delicate pleats and clefts.”
Viewed individually, her sculptures reveal hidden details, carefully crafted. Grouped, the sculptures draw you in, pulling you from one mysterious object to the next, capturing the sense of wonder and discovery.
Prepare to be mystified.
