Gayi Soori

'Surya' is a reference to my father's name and the Hindu solar deity.

The installation of two pairs of 'Surya' alludes to cell division by mitosis. One cell becomes two. Pulling apart to opposite poles. A family divides, on and on and on.

The work speaks to the sense of dislocation that may be felt of being part of a diasporic family.

A Sentry stands guard against foreign invaders.

My Sentry series was inspired by white blood cells that engulf and ingest invading microbes through a process called phagocytosis. The work is a playful exploration of these essential immune functions.

These cellular forms could be alien creatures from outer space. I enjoy the concordance that could exist between looking down a microscope to examine an inner world in miniature, and then gazing through a telescope to see distant celestial bodies.

These sculptures are fabricated combining two different types of clay and ceramic techniques. The brightly coloured 'foreign bodies' are cast with layers of coloured porcelain and then sandblasted while the main structure is built by hand in stoneware with a textural glaze on the surface.

Each work is named for a type of bacteria from the Staphylococcus genus.

Sentry MRSA examines drug resistant bacteria sometimes referred to as a superbugs. I was intrigued to learn that some strains of MRSA secrete toxins that destroy white blood cells.

Lysis refers to the disruption of a cell membrane leading to cellular collapse and disintegration.

I aim to unite concept and process. Each piece is fabricated in a multi-stage method, first with the forms being hand-blown with three layers of contrasting coloured glass. Later they are cold-worked, sandblasting through the layers to create the irregular colour patterns. Followed by fire-polishing, where the piece is heated again and if desired further blown and distorted.