Faculty of Design

Material Art & Design

Vanessa Ho

Otter and Pup (Intimacy Knows No Bounds)

A mothering otter with her pup laying on her chest. Created using textile and metal work techniques. The body is created by threading bead on thin wire and looped on itself. The face are made using silver smithing techniques (sinking and raising, chasing and repousee). The colours are created using surface treatments like heat treat and enamel.

“Otters are known to be protective of each other by holding paws while floating to prevent one another from floating away, and mothering otters will hold their pups on their stomachs to protect them as they are too young to dive and swim on their own. The otters in "Intimacy Knows No Bounds" represent parental intimacy that is protective, caring, and understanding. ”