Graduate Sophie Ferrier named as Contemporary Craft Winner at the Arts Thread Global Creative Graduate Show 2024

ARTS THREAD's Global Creative Graduate Showcase is one the world's most prestigious grad competitions. Thousands of entrants are cut down to a shortlist that spotlights emerging artists and designers from hundreds of the top BA and MA courses from Rotterdam to Cape Town.

Sophie's entry - The Urns of Restoration - has been created from non-native, invasive plant species; Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera), that need to be removed from our local environment. A beyond sustainable material.

These urns are bound together with biodegradable binders, resulting in a material that exhibits the adaptability of clay when wet and the durability of wood when dry. This collection serves as a profound statement on materiality and underscores the importance of embracing circular systems. Symbolically, the urn represents death, yet it also embodies the ecological truth that nature knows no true demise—only the perpetual recycling of nutrients. 

As stewards of the Earth and artisans, we are called to embrace the principles of material recycling and reuse. The process underlying this practice is inherently ecologically restorative. By removing invasive plant species, we contribute to the restoration of our rivers, the reclamation of native biodiversity, and the rehabilitation of soil structures. Moreover, by repurposing organic matter, we ensure that nothing is wasted in this transformative journey.

We look forward to seeing where Sophie's work takes her next, as she continues to work in her studio space (courtesy of the Artsite3 award) in Hereford.