Savannah du Quercy
Degree: BA (Hons) Fine Art
University: City and Guilds of London Art School
Graduation Year: 2023
New Blood Art Commentary
Savannah du Quercy is a multidisciplinary artist in her final year of Fine Art at City and Guilds of London Art School. Her abstract sculptures are three-dimensional collages combining the dualities of her mixed heritage and itinerant upbringing between Europe and the United Arab Emirates. Each sculpture is a materialisation of self, highlighted through the composition which merges Islamic patterns and European architecture. The idea of oscillating between cultures is furthered by her use of packaging materials. An important practice that defines du Quercy’s work is photography, as it prevents the erasure of place and memory. The small photographs that compile within her work are reminiscent of passport photos reinforcing ideas of movement and identity. These themes are also emphasised by the names of her pieces which harbour dual meanings, such as the use of terms ‘root’ and ‘routes.’
Artist Statement
My practice combines sculpture, collage and photography in an exploration of place, memory and interconnected cultures – and how these elements intertwine. Drawing on my own mixed heritage and itinerant upbringing between Europe and the United Arab Emirates, my work is a reflection of my ongoing engagement with these cultural influences. Using re-purposed cardboard, tarpaulin, tape, mosaic mirrors, Scoubidou strings and photographs- These Materials are used to evoke associations with movement, migration and memory. My photographic archive of "overlooked" surfaces, structures, and patterns reflects this theme of movement and forms the foundation for my sculptural output.
By constructing and assembling materials through systems of geometry, repetition, and seriality, I aim to create hybrid sculptures that celebrate the complementary nature of Eastern and Western cultural divides and my own experiences of the East and the West.
Through my work, I seek to create a cross-cultural visual language that references my personal journey and highlights the diversity of cultures and places that have shaped my identity. Other keys ideas at the core of my practice include the subversion of materials, using playful approaches to colour and modularity and the exploration of cardboard as both a metaphorical portal and symbolic body.