Kate Toms

Tinners Rabbits

This piece represents my loose interpretation of the Tinners Rabbits.

The three hares, or rabbits is a circular motif or meme which appears in sacred sites from the Middle and Far East to the churches of Devon. In contemporary written sources from any of the medieval cultures from where it is found, it is thought to have a range of symbolic or mystical associations with fertility and the lunar circle. In Christian churches it is a presumed symbol of the Trinity. Earliest occurrences appear in cave temples in China of the 6th century.

The sculpture is of needlefelted construction, made from dyed sheep's fleece on wire. Mounted on a circular wooden plinth

THE PANDEMIC EFFECT

The unbelievable strangeness of lockdown threw me into a state of shock! After several weeks, when I had become accustomed to the new realities, life still felt very uncertain. As galleries had shut overnight and my annual trade show was cancelled the usual outlets for much of my work were suspended indefinitely. At that point, I felt unable to go ahead with the rental of a new workshop space which was hugely disappointing.

However, alongside previously placed commissions, social media came into its own and orders were forthcoming.

Having a gap in supplying to trade gave me a sense of freedom and meant that I could work differently – I had time to explore some new ideas and to create one offs. Since the easing of lockdown, I have felt confident enough to take on the new studio space and trade orders have now started to regenerate – I hope that my previously planned exhibition in November will be able to go ahead…