Change is exhausting. Change is painful. Yet change is nothing more than a reshuffling of elements as portrayed here as clay, sand, hay and branches. With these elements a structure is being created and over time this will break down into its previous shapes. It reminding us that nothing resists change. 

The sculpture Before It Breaks is made over the course of five days and only from naturally occurring materials: clay, hay, sand and branches. It is a raw, open structure that will slowly decay under the influence of wind, rain and time. Created from the soil of my hometown — a place I have been away from for over a decade — this work becomes a reflection on transformation and change.

The process itself is intuitive and fragile: each handful of clay becomes a question. Where do I place this? How high can I go? How long do I wait before building the next construction? If I become too ambitious or move too quickly, the foundation hasn’t had time to solidify and the structure breaks. It’s a constant balance between patience and decisiveness. Wait too long, and the clay hardens, losing its softness and possibility. Build too soon, and everything collapses.

Kulturgewächshaus Fürth, Germany