Osteoporosis.

[London], 2011.

1 vase : slip-cast earthenware ; 18 x 13 cm

Tamsin van Essen. All rights reserved.

Ceramic earthenware pot representing osteoporosis in the form of a while jar with a pitted surface.

Cast from a plaster mould and fired multiple times, the osteoporosis holes and craters are achieved by putting yeast into the slip and mould during slip-casting. Due to the production method the jar is more britle than a normal earthenware jar.

"The surfaces and shapes of these vases each suggest a different health condition that can be inherited: the spots of acne, the brittle bones of osteoporosis, the rapid cell division of cancer or the flaky skin of psoriasis or ichthyosis. Just as we might inherit a family vase, so too might we inherit these 'medical heirlooms'."--From Being Human exhibition caption.

Title provided by the artist.

Exhibited in 'Being Human' at Wellcome Collection, London from 5th September 2019.

Wellcome Collection 3168166i