See Nicole Lyster’s sculpture in the ‘The Lighter Side of Lockdown’ Exhibition at Harrow Arts Centre

Nicole explains her piece Covid Globe Human Touch: “During the Lockdown it became more and more apparent how important touch is to humans. The fact that we were unable to touch loved ones, shake hands with strangers, occupy the same close quarters with other humans, gave the importance of human touch sharp focus.

Clay is a medium that requires human touch to make forms, be it on the wheel or by modelling the clay with ones hands. It is the only medium that after it is fired is virtually indestructible and can retain the finger print of the creator through thousands of years so that another human can touch it.

Covid-19 removed our ability to touch each other, but my finger prints on this hand built globe and be touched by other humans across time and space, linking us together. Covid-19 has been created by the human touch on the earth and if we don’t accept our impact on our environment and make changes, we will turn the whole world into a place that will destroy us.
This globe was made in response to both these reflections on our situation. It was made as part of a community clay project I set up for the residents of my street, and displayed on the communal roundabout in the street with the clay pieces my neighbours made, which I had fired and glazed for them.”
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