Into The Curve: Tokyo, Japan

Natalie Clark's installation at The Container, Into the Curve, creates an immersing environment spectators can walk into. The entire space is saturated with madder red textiles, assembled with upholstery techniques, to create a tunnel of femininity. The shapes, round and curved, may recall female breasts or hips, or to the more sexually inclined, a vulva or a vagina. To others, the choice of the red fabric perhaps alludes to being trapped in internal organs, but also communicates empowerment and passion. Overall, the installation is very abstract and open to a variety of interpretations, but the sensory impact it creates is exact and precise.

The choice of upholstery techniques to fabricate the piece was not coincidental. The craft is associated with domesticity and tradition and creates an inviting homely environment.  Spectators are encased in the installation, can touch and lean against the soft surfaces, like a womb. Clark has created an environment that induces comfort and safety, making no apologies for linking materiality, nurture and fertility with women's empowerment and self-pride. Her keen interest in growing her own food and extensive gardens of flowers, nurturing from seed to product is a pivotal element in her installation at The Container and her evolution as a nurturing feminine Artist.