Osteoporosis.

[London], 2011.

1 vase : slip-cast earthenware ; 18 x 13 cm

Ceramic earthenware pot representing osteoporosis in the form of a while jar with a pitted surface.

Cast from a plaster mould and fired multiple times, the osteoporosis holes and craters are achieved by putting yeast into the slip and mould during slip-casting. Due to the production method the jar is more britle than a normal earthenware jar.

"The surfaces and shapes of these vases each suggest a different health condition that can be inherited: the spots of acne, the brittle bones of osteoporosis, the rapid cell division of cancer or the flaky skin of psoriasis or ichthyosis. Just as we might inherit a family vase, so too might we inherit these 'medical heirlooms'."--From Being Human exhibition caption.

Title provided by the artist.

Wellcome Collection 3168166i

Exhibited in 'Being Human' at Wellcome Collection, London from 5th September 2019.

Tamsin van Essen. All rights reserved.