Cath produced thousands of paper vessels that form ‘Voyages’, her return to sculpture and first exhibition in 20 years.

‘The repeated vessel shapes emerged from a piece of plastic litter I found in the alley behind my house... the shape made me think about boats, about flotsam and jetsam, and about all the people across the world who are making dangerous journeys in search of safety. I think I identified a sense of that in my own life – of wanting to get away from something, and find somewhere safe.’

What started as an experiment in replicating the shape became a therapeutic process for Cath; as her hands worked, her mind would wander and she’d reflect on her thoughts and feelings.

‘Making them brought me an inexplicable sense of calm, and I vowed to make one a day. As the work grew, so did my confidence and renewed vigour as an artist. I stopped regretting missed opportunities and started forging new ones.’

Cath worked with sound artist Julia Schauerman to develop an immersive soundscape for the exhibition. Using Cath’s voice, the piece fuses narrative stories with vocal experiments and ambient sounds that evoke a sense of the sea. It is intended to give visitors a sense of Cath’s inner world and help them to understand what she was thinking about when making the work. The sound piece is available to listen to at the top of this webpage.

Tissue paper, glue, wooden frame, canvas.

Radio and Backpack