Visiting Artist – Sasha Sykes

Dairbhre Murray (Form VI) reports on a recent visit by artist Sasha Sykes.

On Friday May 15th, Sasha Sykes came to visit our Form VI art set to talk about her practice as an artist. Describing herself as a maker and a designer, she showed us work which involved casting plants, flowers and seaweeds in resin. The concept of connecting with nature is central to her work and this is something about which she feels very passionate. She explained her artistic process which involves numerous steps including sketching, photography, collecting and drying plants and flowers, and adding layers of resin until the piece is complete. Thereafter, the finishing stage of polishing and display are essential for how the work is viewed.

Sasha shared a number of her works with us. One that struck me was titled ‘As I am’. We had also come across this motto in art history when we studied the memento mori at the foot of Masaccio’s ‘Holy Trinity’ fresco. Sasha’s piece embodied the idea of decay within a fireplace from a grand old house. She cast ivy and brambles in the resin fireplace and it is now on display in Rathfarnham Castle, just down the road from our College. Sasha showed us several other projects including a piece she brought with her – a resin chest in which flowers and seaweeds were cast; it was beautiful. Despite its light and airy appearance it is very heavy so luckily her trusty assistant, Maciej Wosinski, who is also well known to us at the College, was on hand to help.

It was great to meet Sasha, and our class really appreciated all that she shared with us.