I am thrilled to have been commissioned to make a piece of site specific public art for the 10th International Çanakkale Biennial in Turkey which will have a special focus on ceramics for the first time. Çanakkale is a city known for ceramics and offers a rich context both in terms of traditional workshops, industry, and contemporary art. 

I have been invited to make a new piece of work for a public space in response to the heritage of Çanakkale.

I undertook a residency in April at Mahal Sanat, a beautiful space facing the river in a former grain warehouse in Çanakkale to research the commission. I gave a presentation of my work which was enthusiastically received and visited local ceramic sites of interest and the archaeological excavations of Troy/Troy Museum, which shaped my ideas for the project.

I decided to design a sculpture inspired by Troy. The design of the structure is inspired by the architectural remains and there are 9 different tile designs representing 9 layers of civilisations that have been uncovered over many decades of excavations. I worked with a 3D modeller to create the prototypes of the tiles and design the structure

In July-August I did a second residency collaborating with KALE ceramics factory in Çan who are manufacturing the tiles. This is the first time I have collaborated with a factory to produce my work and it has been a fantastic experience. It has been a privilege to work alongside professionals who work in a very different way to hand-making in the studio and I have benefitted enormously from their expertise.

The opening of the Biennial is on 10th October 2026. 

The project has been funded by Connections Through Culture, British Council.