This work focuses on the many symbolic sides of the Hare, which I am representing within the medium of hand sculpted ceramic and bronze cast hare figures. I have always had a keen interest in the natural world and especially in the way which we as humans decipher it. I am fascinated by the stories and explanations humans have created throughout history to explain what they could not understand, such as the idea that all life came from the Nile, summer birds spend winter at the bottom of rivers and lakes or that a hare resides in the moon.
The Hare is an animal native to many parts of the globe, and is important to many different collections of peoples, from pagans to the ancient Egyptians. The hare not only has many different stories, but also many common themes within its symbolisms, such as its link with the moon. This makes it a very transformative creature symbolism wise. To show this transformative element I created 6 small hares in different stages of flight, each representing a different symbolism. Each figure had a token of its symbolism/story either represented in cast bronze or painted gold. These pieces were in a circle in a gallery setting to give the impression of one beast running in a circle, transforming as it goes. These pieces were centred around a large ‘Luna Hare’ which is a Hare taking the form of the moon. There is an element of the moon in nearly every symbolism when speaking of the hare, including that of the Celts, Pagans and Ancient Chinese. I also produced two medium sized sculptures to represent ‘The Mad Hare’ and the ‘Jackalope’.
