Katie Hayward
b. 1990, Pembury
2009–2013 BA Fine Art, Newcastle University, Newcastle
Artist’s Statement
Katie Hayward's curiosity into individual desires manifests itself through the use of ceramics, drawings and inflatables. Whilst exploring Ghent, Belgium during an exchange in 2012, she began to notice she was constantly looking up; this realisation formed the basis for a body of work that attempts to reach heights at an exaggerated and unrealistic level. Her Thoughts series are initial ideas usually consisting of collage, pencil drawing and watercolour. These sketches are a diary of growth prototypes, some of which are fabricated and others remaining fictional. They are a curious set of drawings inventing fantastical means to reach and accomplish an illusion of becoming greater than one’s self. Her current work has been exploring inflatable devices that reflect this illusion of great height. Her work Pillars are inflatable limbs that are made to measure within a given space. By sewing together very fine plastic, the fragile giant is then inflated using a conventional fan. The work is abnormally lightweight for its size, given life by a breath of air it superficially reaches beyond its limits, until it is deflated and returns to nothing. Using readily available materials, Katie's work aims to reflect the everyday fragile nature of dreams.
Recent Exhibitions
Solo:
2013 Extension. Reach. Swell. Grow, Trinity, Tunbridge Wells
2012 The Prototypes, Sint-Lucas Beeldende Kunst, Ghent
Group:
2014 Paper Works: Campbell & Connors Collaborative Project, The Bower House Gallery, Maidstone
2014 The Send Off, The Orangery, Knole House, Sevenoaks
2014 A Fine Line, Kaleidoscope Gallery, Sevenoaks
2013 British Ceramics Biennial: Topographies of the Obsolete, The Original Spode Factory, Stoke-on-Trent
2012 Multi Kult, Huset, Ghent
Awards and Residencies
2014 Bragginn Residency, Fludir, Iceland
2014 National Sculpture Symposium Residency, Riverhill Himalayan Gardens, Sevenoaks
2013 The Original Spode Factory Residency, Stoke-on-Trent
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