Chantal Powell: Selected works, 2022-2024
The work of British artist Chantal Powell is made in response to her personal journey into understanding the symbolic language of the unconscious. A PhD in psychology and an ongoing study of Jungian theory and alchemical symbolism inform her practice.
Living and working on the Jurassic Coast (West Dorset) Chantal’s practice is inevitably shaped by the elemental cycles and forms spiralling within deep time. Over recent years she has also been researching first-hand the imagery in alchemical manuscripts and notebooks from the 15th and 16th century. Combining archetypal symbols and metaphors from these sources, alongside those from mythology and personal inner work, she uses a Jungian art-based research approach to facilitate our understanding of the human psyche.
Materiality and process are key to her practice, and she embraces a variety of mediums that include ceramic, glass, metal, textiles and painting in order to express the symbolic material within archetypal imagery. Clay has been a constant and prominent material of choice. Drawn to its elemental nature and transformative quality she creates glazed works in an electric kiln, and also embraces the alchemy of traditional smoke firing techniques that utilise the elements of fire, smoke and natural materials. Recently she has been making pieces that combine ceramics with blown and flame-worked glass elements as she further expands her skill set.
Captions
- Harvest of The Wise, Nourishing of the Egg, 2022, glazed ceramic, metal oxides, gold lustre, 40 x 20 x 17 cm – Photo credit Marco Civale and Parlour Gallery
- At the Hour, The Body Of Us All, 2022, glazed ceramic, metal oxides, gold lustre, 29 x 26.5 x 20 cm – Photo credit Jake Pearce and Pictorum Gallery
- Psychology of Transference, 2022, glazed ceramic, 30 x 28 x 17 cm
- Inner Mercury, 2022, glazed ceramic, oxides, glaze, 34 x 32 x 22 cm
- Sistrum I (Intuition), 2022, glazed ceramic, metal oxides, 29x25x5cm
- Sistrum II (Goddess of Nature), 2022, glazed ceramic, metal oxides, 29×28.5×15.5cm
- Sistrum III (Rise), 2022, glazed ceramic, metal oxides, steel, 27x15x4.5cm
- In Utero, 2022, glazed ceramic, underglaze pencil, 25 x 15 x 14 cm
- Trees Like Seraphim, 2024, glazed ceramic, 66 x 61 x 7cm
- A Summoning, 2024, glazed ceramic, forged steel, 117 x 130 x 130 – Photo credit for installation image Eva Herzog and Arusha Gallery
- This matter is you and I, 2024, hand blown glass, glazed ceramic, 34 x 22 x 16 cm
- Divine Germ, 2024, hand blown glass, glazed ceramic, 15 x 26 x 31 cm
- While Sleeping, Watch, 2024, glaze ceramic, pearl lustre, cast silver, 23.5 x 11 x 7.5 cm
- Eternal Gambit, 2024, black clay, white ashraf clay, mat glaze, 39 x 27 x 28 cm
