Reilly was asked by the collective’s co-founder, Martin Kullik, to produce a series of twenty works which celebrate culinary and artistic experimentation of the highest calibre. She deconstructs her creative process: “This series maintains my vision for curiosity and play when eating, with many items holding ambiguous functions. Looking at common anecdotes centred around table manners, I hope to switch up and alter habits – plates that balance on bottles and glass not only change entrenched ideas of where food should be situated, but encourage new order and provoke movement.”
As a collection, the works exude a zen-like element of poise, balance and calm. Of her origami-like steel dishes, suspended by ribbons and seemingly light as paper, Reilly says: “This series was very much about pushing the simplest ideas. I used a lot of snipping and folding of basic shapes – rectangles, circles and cones – to create new and interesting forms. I’ve really got to thank the steel for achieving the folded paper effect. Steel’s strength means that very thin sheets can be folded and cut with the vice and guillotine; they can appear as thin and light as paper while remaining durable.”
“I try to let a piece of metal or glassware speak to me before I start making. I then try to encompass what I am feeling and seeing, which should hopefully result in a sense of visual and proportional harmony.” Kathleen Reilly