This piece is ultimately a celebration of the transient nature of wood and the beauty that can be found in decay.

"There was a piece of Beech wood seasoning at my studio, and I noticed the collection of fungi growing over the outside. This suggested that there was *spalting on the inside of the material, an early sign of decay. The fungi were extremely delicate and would break off when touched. I carefully selected, cut, and dried this top section, before modelling the playful figure to sit on top, suggesting they have just noticed the magic beneath. I then took a mould of the whole thing to cast into bronze, not knowing if this process could succeed. The result was perfect, the patination purposely mimics the colours of the original wood and growth, then each edge of the fungi was hand polished to show off the raw material of bronze. A timeless metal, celebrated in sculpture. This is now a piece which could be buried in the ground and never perish.

A beautiful moment before the organic material of wood begins to break down and return to the Earth, captured like a three- dimensional photograph, preserved in time forever".

*Spalting: a fungal water damage, very popular in woodworking, that often gives the grain of the wood spectacular lines and colouration patterns. This is a rare moment to capture without losing any of the wood, as it is the first sign of decay. If exposed and preserved, it can give the detail of the wood a completely unique and beautiful character.