Martin Browne Contemporary

Ebony Russell

Australia

Inspired by the creative women in her life and bolstering her practice with an appreciation for the handmade, Ebony Russell’s unique technique involves methodically piping layers of porcelain into ornate, sculptural forms. The physical technique creates results not dissimilar to the frills and folds of icing on a cake, but in Russell's case, the boundary between decoration and structure is dissolved. She has created a vast visual repertoire of historical references looking through a romantic and kitsch lens, while at the same time overturning superficial ideas of ‘decoration’ and ‘craft’ as a feminine, and therefore meaningless pursuit. Russell’s sculptures are gravity defying, often subtly slumped and leaning. The work speaks to the turbulence of navigating the world as a woman; or the aspects of womanhood that are dangerous and confusing.