Bones are Emma Witter’s medium of choice. A passion born by chance in the kitchen while making a stew. And the kitchen, an integral part of her London studio, is still at the heart of her craft because it is there, that she follows a long and meticulous process to prepare the bones that she can then use for her poetical sculptures. “Bone has been used throughout history in manufacturing and design, and my challenge of innovation is to create very beautiful and peaceful objects, that challenge the viewers preconception about the material,” Emma says of her philosophy. “It gives me pleasure when I can change someone’s mind about their fear of bone, or see them make connections to other organic waste products that are also perfectly normal,” explains Emma.
Read the full interviewPhoto: © Emma Witter
Detail from a larger sculpture made of bones, cement and brass wire. Contrary to many people's beliefs that ‘dead’ flowers mean bad luck, dried flowers can preserve the beauty of a significant bouquet which might hold sentimental value.
Length 60 cm
Width 72 cm
Height 55 cm
Photo: © Emma Witter
Seed is a sculpture exclusively made of bones. Inspired by a quote by Joan Chittister: "Seeds are the one thing that are the only genuine promise we have of the future, seeds contain the power of creation."
Length 13 cm
Width 17 cm
Height 15 cm
Photo: © Emma Witter
Still-life sculpture made of bones and brass wire depicting flowers in a vase. Inspired by a quote by Anna Souter: "Cut flowers – their vitality and beauty flourishing despite being severed from their roots – present an uneasy ambiguity, hovering between exuberant life and inevitable death".
Length 21 cm
Width 25 cm
Height 50 cm
Photo: © Emma Witter
This still life sculpture depicting flowers in a vase was created as an ode to Emma's late grandmother. It was handcrafted with love using bones and brass wire.
Length 50 cm
Width 34 cm
Height 58 cm
Photo: © Emma Witter
Preservation, loss and the ephemeral. This piece is a customisation with bones of a found wooden object. It is inspired by the history of seed exchange - a world of exotic plants that circulated in the post in the 18th century, a sort of romantic botanical exchange akin to a gift economy.
Length 30 cm
Width 30 cm
Height 17 cm
Michelangelo Foundation
Homo Faber
