We were delighted to invite the sculptor Rebecca Griffiths back to Sydenham High to lead a workshop with our Year 10 Art students.
Rebecca’s work explores issues around industry, design, and mass production and their impact on our sense of self and the environment. Her work borrows forms and structures from the world of product and industrial design, rebuilding them in clay and combining them with layers of disruptive glaze or sculptural detail. She draws inspiration from science fiction and poetry. Rebecca was also selected for the 2023 ceramics biennale and the Red House residency last year.
Rebecca spoke about her career and recent projects, residencies, and exhibitions. The workshop focused on considering decay and natural forms, the current GCSE theme, and responded to form and surface to influence the outcomes. The pupils worked brilliantly and had an immersive day packed full of learning.
Listen to what our pupils said about the workshop:
Saffron, Year 10
‘We are very used to using different media for our work. It’s not very often that we have such an opportunity to work on 3D options hands-on. The clay itself looks very much alive after the sculpture, and I look forward to seeing how it will transform after the glazes are applied.’
Nina, Year 10
‘We don’t often work on 3D shapes, so it gives us a very new experience and a different perspective when we work on sculpturing the clay. I really enjoyed the workshop.’
We look forward to the end result of their work and seeing how the final touch of the glazes brings the whole art piece to life.
