L AYERS OF HOME
Feeling at home is created by layers acting as time capsules, each transforming into a memory archive, forging deep bonds between identity and place.
Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Griffith University
Sissel Marie Morley
“What is home?”
explaining thinking process.
Model concep sketch
Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Griffith University
Sissel Marie Morley
Making process
Clay was chosen as the material due to its deep symbolic and physical connection to Country. It represents the essence of the earth, grounding us to our roots and honouring the natural elements that shape our environment. Locally sourced.
Finalised conceptual materiality of Country
Eucalyptus Wood Branch that felt on the street during a storm.
Gum Tree Leaf
The left was selected to celebrate the Natural habitat.
First Layer
Wood was selected base of the common material fund into the two locations.
Second Layer
The leaf is essential for the koala habitat, provides food and shelter from sun/rain
Crochet Doily
Banksia Follicles
Blue Gum Gumnuts
My Grandmother loved to make small, doilies from cotton thread.
Third Layer
This material is focus on the memories archive in the item.
The woody follicle used represents the unique nature of this country.
This represent a collective group. Just as gumnuts grow together on a single branch
Australian Pine seeds
Coral and Shell
To showcase deep love and connection to the ocean.
Third Layer
Is focus on the singular memories connecting us.
Fourth Layer
The bonds that shape our identity as family.
Symbolising resilience, adaptability, and growth
Fifth Layer
Embody continuity, passed down through generations.
Six Layer
Signifies the harmony between protection, discovery, tranquility and strength.
Map area selection Clay subtraction selection
Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Griffith University
Sissel Marie Morley archdesign_sm
Textures connecting memories to Country imprint texture acting as an archive of memory, a bond between identity and land.
LAYER MAKING PROCESS
Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Griffith University
Sissel Marie Morley
Conceptual precedent (expression)
MINDSCAPES: WANDERING | 2018
This piece informed on focus on unfolding the topography gradually, revealing new perspectives
By emphasise the emotional, sensory, and material relationships between people and their environment. Turning a physical space into a deeply personal and collective experience.
Lauren Alyssa Bierly
Double-sided triptych of hand cut paper with hardware mounted on board; pins, paper figures, cord. Illustrating topography in a layer impactful way.
Images, left to right: Wandering I-III (Mindscapes), 2018; Detail of Wandering V (Mindscape), 2018.
Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Griffith University
Conceptual precedent (architecture)
Wall House | 1997 - 2000
Anupama Kundoo
More than a house what a space to belong. integrates traditional craftsmanship with innovative architecture, creating a home that is both functional and deeply connected to its surroundings.
The roof, constructed from handmade terracotta pots, is arched to form a self-sufficient structure, blending sustainable techniques with vernacular aesthetics. Inspired by family lifestyle, the design seamlessly integrates indoor and outdoor spaces.
This approach influenced my decision to use clay not only as a material but as a means to challenge the conventional applications of clay slab technique, deeply rooted in personal history while focused on connections with new knowledge. By exploring traditional slab clay techniques, I aim to innovate and envision clay as a topological model.
Living Belonging Synopsis
This living belonging, explores the intricate relationship between identity, memory, and place. It reflects on how landscapes, both physical and emotional, shape our understanding of home. Rooted in the connections between Alphaville, São Paulo, Brazil, and Currumbin Waters, Queensland, Australia, the work is a reflection on the layers of personal experiences that form a sense of belonging.
The layering process mirrors how memory accumulates over time, revealing a deep human connection to the land and what we call home. By incorporating natural elements, the work invites engagement with the landscape, emphasising the interwoven relationship between people and place. Just as the land holds stories, this artwork embodies the textures of meaningful objects, reflecting both personal and universal experiences of home.
By using clay, a material sourced directly from the land, this work captures the passage of time—each imprint and texture becoming an archive of lived experience. The process draws from traditional clay techniques, reinforcing the link between material and connection to Country. Clay serves as both a tangible and symbolic bridge, strengthening the enduring bond between place, history, and self.
Artist Statement
Artist: Sissel Marie de Meireles Levorato Morley
Media: Clay sculpture
Artwork Title: Layers of Home
In Layers of Home, I invite you to explore the profound connections we form with the places we call home. This work examines the physical and emotional topography of belonging, where the soil holds not only the past but also the essence of who we are.
Through my living artwork, I fuse the geographic and emotional landscapes of two locations—Alphaville, São Paulo, Brazil, and Currumbin Waters, Queensland, Australia —into a utopian topography. Each layer embodies the passage of time, capturing moments, memories, history, and emotion, with imprints of the land’s gifts telling a story.
The clay acts as a time capsule, as each layer holds its own archive of memory, reminding us of the enduring bonds between identity and home.
Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Griffith University
Sissel Marie Morley
Artist: Sissel Marie Morley
University: Griffith University Gold Coast
Artwork Title: Layers of Home
Media: Clay sculpture (Clay)
Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Griffith University
Sissel Marie Morley
Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Griffith University
Sissel Marie Morley
Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Griffith University
Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Griffith University
Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Griffith University
Sissel Marie Morley archdesign_sm
Concept Sketch
Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Griffith University
Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Griffith University Sissel Marie Morley
Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Griffith
Model Making (step 1)
Model Making (step 2)
Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Griffith
Model Making (step 5)
Model Making (step 6)
Model Making (step 6)
Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Griffith University
Final living belonging
Layers: 10mm
Technique: Slab
Modification: Area subtraction in topography map modification
Textures: Nature, animal and human imprint.
Model Making (step 7)
Bisque firing process
Model Making (step 8)
Glaze firing process
Clear Glaze at Cone 6 (Mid-Fire)
Clear glaze at Cone 6 (approximately 1,220–1,260°C or 2,228–2,300°F) is a transparent glaze that enhances the appearance of ceramic surfaces, protecting them while allowing underlying textures and decorations to show through.
Fin a l model photos
Model Making (step 9)
Model Making (step 10)
