Becky Kraft

After immigrating to Zimbabwe in 2008, the vastness of 'Real Africa' and its incredible beauty resonated with my love for nature and living wild. I quickly became bound to this immense, fragile, unyielding and sometimes savage country.

In 2014, driven by a desire to create beauty from thrown away objects, I became interested in carving domestic cow skulls. My interest was multifaceted – An appreciation of the exquisite craftsmanship of nature, from the pattern on a daisy flower to the sculpture of bone beneath flesh. Our fear of impermanence, and the transient quality of life. An honouring of nature, and the natural cycle we are all governed by in life.

Statement

Carving on bone is a pre-historic art of many civilisations with a variety of different intentions – some spiritual and some decorative. For me, work on bone has a very obvious connection to the afterlife. It is a good reminder of our brief time in this world and of a desire to find meaning and grace during life. The intimacy of working on the bone of another sentient creature connects me to the precious nature of life in all forms.

Rather than use my work for a sombre and heavy message I would like the pieces I create to symbolize the beauty and majesty of life. Hopefully this will prompt the viewer to delve into their own ideas on conservation, ecology, commercial farming and the cycle of life. These are conversations that affect us all, and if the beauty of art is able to start them then I feel my work is part of a greater more important dialogue.