Francis Upritchard's ceramic mixed media figures make me want to touch their elongated toes and lovely relaxed hands. I tripped onto her work when I read a New York times article about her home with her husband, who I might add is an impressive artist himself. Upritchard is originally from New Zealand but currently lives in London.
Upritchard grew up in a hippy environment where the local hub of crafters and alternative therapists was offset by the oil industry. The failure of the 1960s peace and love dream, bringing in the "me" generation in place of a communally minded world, is one of the key ideas behind her figurines...Her clay figures made a splash on the international scene in 2009, when she represented New Zealand at the Venice Biennale, suggesting a shift away from her interest in magic objects and folk beliefs towards doomed ideals and utopian dreams. theguardian
I love how she uses her husband's furniture in her installation of her pieces- I think its odd how I feel for some reason because of that they look more contemporary. lovely work.
