Tiny Communities, 2021

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Slip cast porcelain silk cocoons on wood (70 x 35 cm)

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‘Tiny Communities’ investigates the subtle, symbiotic relationships that shape living systems. The work is composed of slip-cast silk pods. These are first grouped and arranged before being cast to preserve both the original cocoons and their newly formed communal structures. Each cluster is a permanent record of how the pods naturally relate when brought into proximity. These preserved formations, delicate, hollow, and tactile, rest across fragments of weathered wood. The contrast between the smooth, porcelain surfaces and the textured timber highlights the meeting of fragility and resilience. Although transformed through the casting process, the pods retain their biological geometry and the sense of shelter, transformation, and interdependence embodied by the silkworm cocoon. The clusters evoke coral colonies, fungal networks, and microscopic habitats; systems in which individual units survive through cooperation and mutual reliance. Their variations and interlocking forms suggest a community shaped by shared conditions rather than individual design. ‘Tiny Communities’ invites viewers to consider how symbiosis functions at every scale, from microscopic organisms to human societies. By preserving the pods in their arranged relationships, the work reveals a quiet landscape of connection and co-existence, where the act of living together becomes both a necessity and an art form.

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