Diane Griffin sculpts in porcelain, stoneware and earthenware, using contrasts in texture and form to explore human emotions and the constructs we evolve to manage our feelings.
Diane says, “Great craft is the result of a maker’s skill and knowledge combined to celebrate the qualities of their chosen material. The pure joy of making and versatility of clay drive me to keep exploring.”
Diane is often inspired by visceral experiences of sites, places where people congregate to leave offerings or messages. Intrigued by this human tendency to connect outwards in times of need, Diane’s making investigates the otherness of emotions. Her pieces are achieved through techniques that include coiling, slabbing, carving and throwing. Diane employs contrasting finishes and glazes which complement the differing qualities of her materials: matte, ruffled sheets of porcelain paper clay, stone-like shapes and glossy amorphous forms. These combined elements may be comforting or unsettling.
Recent pieces have focused on powerful vibrations that shape daily lives and affect responses. Diane explores what forms emotions may take: what colour is fear? What shape anxiety? A personal reflection of complex internal experiences, her ambition in her poetic sculptures is to capture a moment after cathartic release. She offers focal points for connecting with memories and personal stories, establishing private moments of contemplation.