Layers 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.

Sissel Marie Morley

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L

AYERS OF HOME

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

“What is home?”

Mind map diagram

Puzzle pieces of memory that assemble the feeling of home.

The layers concept sketch explaining thinking process.

Model concep sketch archdesign_sm

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Sissel Marie Morley

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

Making process

Finalised conceptual materiality of Country

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.

Eucalyptus Wood Branch that felt on the street during a storm.

First Layer Wood was selected base of the common material fund into the two locations.

Map area selection

Clay subtraction selection

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Sissel Marie Morley

Gum Tree Leaf The left was selected to celebrate the Natural habitat.

Crochet Doily My Grandmother loved to make small, doilies from cotton thread.

Second Layer The leaf is essential for the koala habitat, provides food and shelter from sun/rain

Third Layer This material is focus on the memories archive in the item.

Banksia Follicles The woody follicle used represents the unique nature of this country.

Third Layer Is focus on the singular memories connecting us.

Blue Gum Gumnuts This represent a collective group. Just as gumnuts grow together on a single branch Fourth Layer The bonds that shape our identity as family.

Australian Pine seeds Symbolising resilience, adaptability, and growth

Coral and Shell To showcase deep love and connection to the ocean.

Six Layer Signi es the harmony between Fifth Layer Embody continuity, protection, passed down through discovery, tranquility and generations. strength.

Textures connecting memories to Country imprint texture acting as an archive of memory, a bond between identity and land.

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

LAYER MAKING PROCESS

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Sissel Marie Morley

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

Conceptual precedent (expression)

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.

MINDSCAPES: WANDERING | 2018

Lauren Alyssa Bierly Double-sided triptych of hand cut paper with hardware mounted on board; pins, paper gures, 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 - Grif th University

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Sissel Marie Morley

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-suf cient structure, blending sustainable techniques with vernacular aesthetics. Inspired by family lifestyle, the design seamlessly integrates indoor and outdoor spaces.

This approach in uenced 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.

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Sissel Marie Morley

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

Living Belonging Synopsis This living belonging, explores the intricate relationship between identity, memory, and place. It re ects 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 re ection 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, re ecting 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.

Final living belonging model

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

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Sissel Marie Morley

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. archdesign_sm

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Sissel Marie Morley

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

Artist: Sissel Marie Morley University: Griffith University Gold Coast Artwork Title: Layers of Home Media: Clay sculpture (Clay)

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Sissel Marie Morley

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

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Sissel Marie Morley

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

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Sissel Marie Morley

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

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Sissel Marie Morley

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

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Sissel Marie Morley

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

Concept Sketch

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Sissel Marie Morley

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

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Sissel Marie Morley

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

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Sissel Marie Morley

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

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Sissel Marie Morley

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

Model Making (step 1) Model Making (step 1)

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Sissel Marie Morley

Model Making (step 2)

Model Making (step 2)

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

Making (step 1)

Model Making (step 2)

Model Making (step 3)

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Sissel Marie Morley

Model Making (clay)

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

Model Making (step 4)

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Sissel Marie Morley

Model Making (step 5) (step 5) Model Making Model Making (step 5)

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

Model Making (step 6)

Model Making (step 6)

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Sissel Marie Morley

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

Final living belonging Layers: 10mm Technique: Slab Modification: Area subtraction in topography map modification Textures: Nature, animal and human imprint.

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Sissel Marie Morley

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

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Sissel Marie Morley

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

Model Making (step 7)

Bisque firing process

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Sissel Marie Morley

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

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.

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Sissel Marie Morley

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

Final model photos

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Sissel Marie Morley

Model Making (step 9)

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University

Packed to be shipped

Model Making (step 10)

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Sissel Marie Morley

Yugambeh & Kombumerri Country - Grif th University