bark, 2023

Peter Mears (b.1988) presents bark, a new body of work exploring the idea of transformation. Made up of hundreds of porcelain extrusions, the repeated shapes form twelve sections of one continuous frieze. Each extrusion is made by pulling clay through a specially made mould, the touch of the hand allowing space for spontaneous movement and resulting in a unique shape. In this way the mould acts as a musical instrument, creating a unique song-note with every use.

bark is about setting out along an unknown path. Each extrusion sits in conversation with the one before and the one after. Seen together, there’s the sense of slowly piecing something together. Playful, fragile and expressive, the work speaks to what it means to open up; the beauty and brutality necessary for change and growth.