Olivia Tani
I make work that serves as both functional and sculptural, I approach making utilitarian objects as a kind of vehicle for sculpture. The marriage between the two is where it gets exciting for me. I celebrate the idea that an artwork can serve a function, while also being able to stand alone as a celebration of form, in a domestic environment.
I often think about deconstructing three-dimensional forms into their two-dimensional blueprints, which inspired my interest in slab building with clay. I build volumetric forms using several slab components made from paper templates, which are influenced by my interest in geometry, compositional balance and creating illusions of movement within fixed shapes. I work largely with enclosed forms and double walled components that evoke a sense of fullness, volume and mass. Visually breaking down my works, the whole form is composed of smaller forms that can alone stand as sculptures. Finding how these pieces cohesively fit together to create one aesthetically, structurally and functionally successful form, is what drives my current practice.
