VOICE is a multi-media ceramic installation that explores the tension between the inevitable alienation of the individual and their intrinsic need to be part of a social organism by commenting on the difficulty to speak and be heard. VOICE charts autobiographical experiences of physical and mental injury such as being othered, ghosted, not speaking up or not being able to speak up. The experiences are inscribed into the central pillar of the installation based on sound recordings of the word "whisper". These are then translated into altered forms representing their emotional impact and reflecting on the fragility of our mental health. As a ceramic artist I use the name e.williams. As a Wexford based ceramicist, I have been enjoying the tactile qualities of clay since childhood. Hand-building, slip-casting and wheel-throwing are all part of the repertoire used. Having lived in Germany and Ireland, my ceramic art draws on experiences of contrasting cultures. Inclusive communities which have been a home and way of life for me for 25 years shaped an awareness of interdependence and interest in collaborative working.
