Tattooing – The Smoke is a live art work created in collaboration with theatre-maker Sian Ni Mhuiri. The idea for the performance came about when Sian (my daughter) was commissioned to develop a new performance work for the Chelsea Theatre London as part of their Early Career Artist Development Scheme. Part ritual, part installation, and part storytelling, Tattooing – The Smoke explores memory, commitment, shared history and the mother-daughter relationship. I created an installation of raku-fired cones, and co-created the text, animations, performance elements and direction that made up the over all show. A heartfelt, biographical portrait of a pair of artists with a shared history, Tattooing – The Smoke culminated in a performance where I tattooed a cone symbol onto Sian’s hand in front of a live audience at the Chelsea Theatre.
