Gema Skillicorn

BA (Hons) Artist Designer Maker


My work is a combination of hand sculpting and press moulding, as well as contrasting elements of three dimensional form in ceramic and ornamental illustration in liner pens.

My installation consists of large birds of prey wall mounted watching a gathering of smaller birds in branches, entwined with hand drawn filigree throughout each bird.

Inspired by home trends of minimalism and monochrome decor, my choice in palette for these ceramic birds has a contrast of matte black and iridescent white. As a cold finish, these colours were applied with gesso, raw graphite, and a combination of powders and spray paint.

My work interprets two very different outcomes from what the viewer decides individually. As a sufferer of anxiety and depression, I created the entire installation based on the quote fight or flight, the body’s natural reaction to fear and anxiety and portrayed this emotion as an awareness piece. I also wished to create something beautiful out of such a controlling emotion that could be displayed in the modern home. Interested in Konmari’s method in minimalism of only keeping things in the home that are needed or spark joy, I hoped these pieces would be a beautiful item that would be seen simply as a decorative piece that would fit into someone’s collection.


Mae fy ngwaith yn gyfuniad o waith cerflunio â’r llaw a gwasg-fowldio, yn ogystal ag elfennau cyferbyniol o ffurfiau 3-dimensiynol a darluniadau addurniadol a cheramig mewn peniau ‘liner’.

Mae fy ngosodiad yn cynnwys adar ysglyfaethus mawr wedi’u gosod ar wal yn gwylio adar llai yn ymgasglu mewn canghennau, a ffiligri wedi’i dynnu â’r llaw wedi ymblethu drwy bob un o’r adar.

Cafodd fy newis o ran palet ar gyfer yr adar ceramig hyn ei ysbrydoli gan y tueddiadau minimal a monocrom ar gyfer diwyg ein cartrefi, ac mae’n cyferbynnu du matte a gwyn symudliw. Ar y diwedd, cafodd y lliwiau hyn eu cynnwys yn oer drwy ddefnyddio graffit amrwd, gesso a chyfuniad o bowdrau a phaent chwistrellog.

Mae fy ngwaith yn dehongli dau ganlyniad gwahanol iawn i’r hyn y bydd y gwyliwr yn ei benderfynu yn unigol. Gan fy mod wedi dioddef â phryder ac iselder ysbryd, fe wnes greu gosodiad cyfan ar y dyfyniad ‘ymladd neu ffoi’ sef adwaith naturiol y corff i ofn a phryder, a phortreadu’r emosiwn yma yn ddarn ymwybyddol. Yn ogystal, roeddwn am greu rhywbeth hardd allan o emosiwn oedd yn dal cymaint o afael a allai gael ei arddangos mewn cartref modern. Gan fod diddordeb gen i yn null lleiafol Konman o gadw ond y pethau yn y cartref sy’n ennyn llawenydd. Roeddwn yn gobeithio y byddai’r darnau hyn yn eitemau hardd a gâi eu gweld yn syml yn ddarnau addurniadol a allai fod yn rhan o gasgliad rhywun.

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