Bronwynne Cornish - Dec 25'
Artist Interview - Bronwynne Cornish
1, Q: Your figurative sculptures feel alive - mysterious, gentle, almost like guardians. How do they come into being?
A: I don’t think a lot about them. I work very intuitively. I usually make a group at a time - four or five figures together. Sometimes I try to change them if I don’t like how they’re turning out, but they always return to what they were before. In a way, they come out looking and feeling how they want to. I feel like I’m just a conduit through which these figures are created.
2, Q: Do you sketch or plan your figures before making them?
A: No, not really. I don’t draw. Occasionally, if I’m making a larger piece, I might draw it to plan how it will be constructed. But the smaller figures just come straight out - they’re entirely intuitive.
3, Q: You had a close relationship with your mentor, Helen Mason. What did she give you as an artist?
A: I was incredibly fortunate to meet Helen. I was in my early 20s and had never worked with clay before. She simply gave me some clay and left me to make things. One of the things she said to me was that you need a ‘bread and butter’ piece - something you return to throughout your life. She made her salt hens for decades, and that advice stayed with me. My guardian figures began then and have remained my bread and butter ever since.
4, Q: You’ve spoken about Dedicated to the Kindness of Mothers as a central work in your practice. What does it mean to live with it still?
A: It really is the centre of my work. The piece has been in my garden for decades and continues to inspire me. It changes with the seasons - I plant around it in spring and summer, pull things back in autumn, and let it sit bare in winter. It’s alive in that way, always evolving.
5, Q: What was your first experience exhibiting in Japan like?
A: We were overwhelmed by the respect and interest shown toward our work. People travelled from all over Japan to visit the exhibition and speak with us directly. It reflected the deep respect for clay and craft in Japanese culture. We felt truly honoured.
6, Q: Your exhibition Departure Lounge speaks to time, movement and transition. What do you hope people take from these works?
A: I hope they remind people that there is a spiritual aspect to our lives. It’s easy to forget that now - we’re all so busy. When people live with these figures, they often tell me the roles they take on in their homes. One woman placed her jewellery on her guardian every night for protection. Another artist told me his figure turned around on top of his fridge each night. Everyone has their own relationship with them, their own story.
7, Q: Many of your works are passed down through families. How does that feel?
A: I don’t see them come up for resale very often. Recently, some people returned figures to me after their parents passed away, asking if I’d like them back. I love that idea of reincarnation - of the work coming back again.
8, Q: Looking back, how do you reflect on a life spent with clay?
A: I feel an enormous sense of privilege. I found clay early, I found Helen, and she let me be myself. Clay has done everything for me. I’ve met wonderful people and had a full life through it. My hands are still working - who knows what’s next.
Interviewer by Yuka O'Shannessy / Public Record
Photo by Masami Ono
