During a printmaking course in Milan in 1993, Emma Davies had a light bulb moment. As she looked down at her ink-stained hands, she realized she loved working with them and found inspiration in their profound capacity to create. This marked the beginning of an artistic journey that has since flourished. Upon returning to Melbourne, she established a studio and began experimenting with form and texture, exploring mediums such as resin to create works born from a balance of play and inquiry.
Emma has never been one to follow a traditional path. She soon began working with polypropylene packaging, discovering ways to transform this man-made material into something that mimics the qualities of the natural world. Weaving through netted voids, stretching it over forms, and innovating further to add structure, Emma meticulously shaped the material into something resembling an architectural skin.
Today, Emma's work has evolved through a practice that blends inspiration from nature with a wealth of artisanal techniques she has gathered through travel, collaboration, and innovation.
Through experimentation, Emma's pieces have developed into labor-intensive textiles made from baler twine pressed into netting. These works possess an ethereal quality, with light casting silhouettes and creating movement that transcends the materiality of the pieces.