The objects I make come from my everyday existence. I begin with a current thought or a feeling - something that is on my mind, a book I’m reading, a person or situation I’m affected by, a TV series I love - and through the process of making, stories and adventures emerge that speak in a light-hearted and humorous way about my particular experience of being alive on planet Earth.
I like to work quickly and a narrative develops where props and characters take shape in response to the behaviour of the material, creating something new and surprising to me. I am currently working with clay to make flat, cut-out pieces which are fired, glazed, and then worked onto again with enamel.
Although objects, there is always a flatness to the pieces I make and my process is rooted in painting and drawing. More recently I have found myself working in ceramics as I enjoy its association with home, domestic life and the often sociable nature of working with this material. The scale of my work deliberately relates to home and I want objects I make to be able to be engaging and experienced as part of everyday life like popular music, books and films can be.
Cartoon language with its often humorous tone and fast pace mentally centers me and runs as a thread throughout everything I make. Failure is an important part of this and an ingredient towards creating an atmosphere of lightness; and becomes a useful tool - an uncomfortable colour choice or a misplaced line becomes a characteristic and propels the narrative forwards. In this way hierarchies are constantly in question, why do I feel this choice is ‘better’ than that, why would I pick this object over that one? For this reason, objects are often in pairs, flocks, or groups.
Making things and life are deeply entwined for me, like a large ivy bush around a gnarly old tree. The good, bad, ugly all come together and sit alongside each other in the pieces I make, and through the process of making I am given a feeling of hope and joyfulness..
Annelie Fawke (UK) graduated from Kingston University with an MFA in 2014, receiving a distinction with commendation for her final exhibition. She has taken part in largely self-organised exhibitions, which she enjoys making collaboratively with other artists and curators.
Seeing every exhibition as an opportunity for an adventure, she has carried out projects in the UK and internationally, ranging from her local dry cleaners in north London to locations further afield such as Labor Gallery in Budapest and Gadime Cave in Kosovo.
Other exhibitions include ‘The Ollie & Lesa Show’ and ‘HellMouth & Assasins Reading Club’ at 4Cose (2020), ‘Future Heroine’, RAW Labs, Bow Arts (2018); and the Clare Morris Open Exhibition as part of Triangular Brush, curated by Tom Morton (2017).
Annelie also works on collaborations for interiors.
annelieitsme@gmail.com