Emma Witter

The beauty of bones

• Emma creates intricate sculptures from bone
• She prepares the organic material herself
• Vanitas and Memento Mori are her source of inspiration

Bones are Emma Witter’s medium of choice. A passion born by chance in the kitchen while making a stew. And the kitchen, an integral part of her London studio, is still at the heart of her craft because it is there, that she follows a long and meticulous process to prepare the bones that she can then use for her poetical sculptures. “Bone has been used throughout history in manufacturing and design, and my challenge of innovation is to create very beautiful and peaceful objects, that challenge the viewers preconception about the material,” Emma says of her philosophy. “It gives me pleasure when I can change someone’s mind about their fear of bone, or see them make connections to other organic waste products that are also perfectly normal,” explains Emma.

Interview

©Edvinas Bruzas

©Asiko Artist

It is true that it all began in a kitchen?

I was having oxtail stew, polishing the meat off the bones and noticed how beautiful the bones were. Shaped like orchids, sculptural with beautiful symmetry and I realised that in being so strong and lightweight, they could be a great sculptural medium.

When did you start?

In 2014, when I saved up oxtail and chicken bones from my dinners and played around with assembling them into a circular, symmetrical sculpture, like a nest. I submitted this piece to the Hix Award. I was shortlisted and invited to exhibit the piece at Hix Art Gallery.

Where do you source your material?

I collect them from butchers, restaurants, and even the shores of the River Thames. My craft is also linked to the territory and through history, I like the tales of the rag and bone men in Victorian east London who would collect animal bones to sell.

What’s the most surprising aspect of your craft?

The sheer amount of time that it takes to collect, boil, clean, dry, organise, and prepare the material before it is ready to use. There is a long process and ritual that comes before the actual construction.

Emma Witter is an expert artisan she began her career in 2014

Works

©Emma Witter

©Emma Witter

©Emma Witter

©Emma Witter

©Emma Witter

Where