The solo exhibition ‘Common Folk’ comprises of 20 tiny hand built ceramic chair sculptures and 10 hand built tinyscape incense holders made by ceramic artist Emily Brookfield.

About the show

Back in the 90's when I was in primary school, my mum would take me to folk art (tole painting) classes after school that were held in the back room of a haberdashery shop in the suburb that I grew up in. It was one of my first real introductions into the arts and has heavily influenced my preference for working in a craft based medium. Women of all ages would attend the class each week and I remember it being a very nurturing creative experience. 
 

'Common Folk' draws on the nostalgia of this experience as a child and reflects the patience, care and attention to detail that craft based practices embody. Coming together in community to share knowledge and tradition is important to me and these pieces honour the skills passed down through generations and celebrate the art of the 'common folk', which is often valued less than its fine art counterparts. Each chair is fired to stoneware temperatures causing their delicate frame to bend and buckle which almost gives them a persona all of their own. My choice to alter the scale of a utilitarian object like a chair is to shift the value we place on everyday objects, rendering their form more important than their intended function.