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On display

Tending the Fires

Sculpture
2016 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Claire Curneen (born 1968) creates figurative sculptures that poignantly reflect on humanity. Universal themes of loss, suffering, sacrifice and rebirth underpin her works. Hand-built in white porcelain, sometimes with touches of blue or gold, their translucent and fragile qualities offer metaphors through which we can consider the human condition and experience. Born in Ireland, Curneen studied at Cork, Belfast and Cardiff, where she now lives and works.

'Tending the Fires' is Curneen's most expansive work to date. A complex diorama, it presents a fragmented world in which figures jostle with birds, branches and broken pottery. Despite an appearance of destruction, it also suggests resilience and hope.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Parts
This object consists of 39 parts.

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TitleTending the Fires (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Porcelain, hand-built, with blue glaze and gilding
Brief description
Claire Curneen, 'Tending the Fires', installation in multiple parts, porcelain, hand-built, with blue glaze and gilding, Cardiff, 2016
Physical description
A porcelain diorama in multiple parts, mostly white with touches of blue and gold, depicting a fragmented world in which figures jostle with birds, branches and broken pottery.
Dimensions
  • Overall height: 50cm
  • Overall length: 221cm
  • Overall depth: 46cm
Production typeUnique
Gallery label
Credit line
Given by Claire Curneen
Subjects depicted
Summary
Claire Curneen (born 1968) creates figurative sculptures that poignantly reflect on humanity. Universal themes of loss, suffering, sacrifice and rebirth underpin her works. Hand-built in white porcelain, sometimes with touches of blue or gold, their translucent and fragile qualities offer metaphors through which we can consider the human condition and experience. Born in Ireland, Curneen studied at Cork, Belfast and Cardiff, where she now lives and works.

'Tending the Fires' is Curneen's most expansive work to date. A complex diorama, it presents a fragmented world in which figures jostle with birds, branches and broken pottery. Despite an appearance of destruction, it also suggests resilience and hope.
Associated object
Bibliographic references
  • See Object Info file
  • pp.31-40 Davey, Richard, 'Beauty in Brokenness: The Sculpture of Claire Curneen', Image, No. 97, Summer 2018
Collection
Accession number
C.23:1-39-2018

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Record createdSeptember 6, 2018
Record URL
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