Clay—and being on the wheel for the past ten years—has been my return to centre. A place to soften, to slow, to find the quiet stillness within. It’s a rhythm of making that anchors me back into the body, into presence. But at different points in my life, I’ve also been in the slipstream of technology—swimming fast, chasing creative tools and digital spaces as ways to engage, narrate, and express.
Lately, my attention has turned back toward that world, but with a different feeling. I hear the forecasts of a jobless future, a world shaped by artificial intelligence, and I feel both curiosity and unease. The speed of AI’s growth, its scale and reach, and the strange way it mirrors us—our human indifference—these questions linger. And so I created this work: ‘Quick Response (QR) Era: Axis in Clay’.
This project is a pause. A moment held still in a time that feels like it’s speeding up. A way of grounding myself again while asking: how do we stay human, creative, and discerning in an accelerating world? Can we lead with heart instead of fear? What does creative agency look like now?
The vessels are wheel-thrown from recycled clay and single-fired to reduce energy use and minimise production waste. Their soft teardrop forms are shapes I return to—anchoring forms that draw attention back to the body. Each sits on a thrown plinth, loosely referencing classical columns. One vessel’s neck broke during the process and was carefully mended rather than discarded—the banding line becoming a quiet marker of the break. Surfaces are finished with terra sig, with added oxides in tones reminiscent of Greek ceramics. Together, they suggest a kind of axis—a still point around which past, present, and future revolve.
Several pieces feature a QR code banding pattern—a sort of glyph—once a symbol of instant access, now already fading. Most were made using a 3D-printed stamp—efficient, fast, digital. But none of them work. The only one that scans is the code I painted slowly by hand, with underglaze—an ironic twist in a system built for speed.
That working code links to this blog—an open space for artists to reflect, ask questions, and share experiments. My hope is that it becomes a small but growing community and conversation between those navigating the tension between tradition and tech.
This work is both personal and collective. It’s not a polished answer, just an honest offering—one layer in an evolving conversation about craft, consciousness, and the choices we make when new tools emerge. A gesture toward slowness in the face of speed—and an invitation to meet the future with creativity, care, and human presence.
How I Used AI + Tech in Quick Response Era: Axis in Clay
This project explores the meeting point between ancient ceramic practice and digital tools. I wanted to embed QR codes into clay as a way to symbolise our relationship with speed, access, and technological change—then slow that symbol down through handmaking.
Here’s how AI and tech shaped the process:
1. Creating the 3D Printed QR Stamp
I asked AI to generate a simplified version of my QR code—something clean enough to be printed and translated into clay. I sent this file to a friend for 3D printing so I could experiment with two applications:
a paper transfer, and a relief stamp pressed directly into the clay.
The paper transfer worked in theory, but didn’t successfully transfer to the ceramic surface. The first 3D print also didn’t function. I fed a photo of the faulty print back into AI and used it to troubleshoot. AI then generated a second version, this time with a backing plate for even pressure, which showed much more promise for future relief work.
3. Language, Editing & Reflection
AI helped shape this project through conversation and editing. I used it to clarify my ideas, refine my language, and edit my writing—including the artist statement and this blog post. It became a way to clarity my vision without replacing my intention, or voice.
This piece is about process, dialogue, and staying present in a shifting world. If you're an artist working with or wondering about tech, feel free to share your reflections here. This is a space for slow thinking and creative experimentation.