We’re delighted to have two pieces on display at The Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition 2023. On a summers afternoon in Piccadilly our Associates, Emaad Damda and Elena Aleksandrov, attended the varnishing day in which artists and contributors could observe their work in situ. The prestigious annual show has been beautifully curated by Peter Barber; with the theme revolving around a celebration of making.
Our first piece is a collaboration alongside Saxum Stonemasons and woodworker Thomas Goodey. The 1:1 scale section is a prototype wall and window frame which celebrates the unique materiality and tactility of our proposed ‘Chalk House’ in Surrey. Hempcrete, oak, cyclopean lime and stone compose the monolith, with a hand carved miniature of the entire scheme crowning the frame.
Under construction in the rolling pasture of the Wiltshire countryside is a pioneering Rammed Earth House, which inspired our second model. We, in company with rammed earth specialist Hanno Burtscher, created this 1:20 study of the buildings stair core to understand the internal configuration of spaces. Crushed brick and jesmonite was utilised to mimic the strata of the final walls, and is placed next door to the wooden mould in which it was conceived. This diptych references the process on site and illustrates the delicate methodology behind unstabilized rammed earth construction. The work sits atop a bed of rammed earth flooring which has just been installed within the house itself.
We’d like to thank all involved in the creation of the two sculptures and the RA for organising such a stunning showcase of diversity, craft and ambition. The show is currently open at Burlington House until August 20th. More information can be found here.
