Stephanie Flowers

I am interested in the interplay between the human body and physical space. Influenced by the language and representations of anatomy, biology and medical imaging, I examine how these translate such an intimate place. How are we to understand our own personal structures and what does the body imagined through science mean to us?

I am also interested in exploring how the material process of making informs my work conceptually, emotionally and physically. I find parallels to the human body in the language and characteristics of porcelain; it’s fragility, plasticity, and translucency. By using stained porcelain to slip-cast my sculptural forms, I explore how those characteristics interact with the negative and positive spaces within the mould, and mould-making process. This process helps me investigate how the connections between interior and exterior space may help realize a sense of place.

My work depicts the fragmented body by translating it’s poetic and surreal qualities into minimal forms that are uncanny yet familiar. I aim to create alternate ways of understanding and interacting with the body through ceramic design, while also considering the boundaries, fragility, connections, and containment of our own internal dwelling.

-- Stephanie Flowers

Stephanie Flowers received her BFA at OCAD University where she majored in Sculpture & Installation and minored in Material Art & Design. Recent exhibitions include the Toronto Interior Design Show, as part of Toronto Design Offsite Festival, her solo exhibition at Medalta’s Yuill Gallery, and the Gardiner Museum for the launch event of their First Position Patrons Circle. She has undertaken a number of artistic residencies including the Drake Hotel in Toronto, Alfred University in New York, and most recently as a year-long artist-in-residence at Medalta, in Medicine Hat, Alberta. Her work has been supported with grants from the Ontario Arts Council and the Fusion Clay and Glass Association. She is currently based in Montreal, Quebec.