Taking feathers as her primary medium, Kate MccGwire goes through labour-intensive processes of collecting, sorting and cleaning her materials to create muscular, writhing forms reminiscent of Classical sculpture and creatures from mythology. These abject structures explore dualities of aesthetics, being simultaneously seductive and repulsive; form, being simultaneously organic and abstract; and movement, appearing fluid yet being static. Through her practice, MccGwire celebrates feathers, which are commonly shed or discarded, as the medium through which she articulates enigmatic anatomies that explore physical and introspective space.
Kate MccGwire graduated from the Royal College of Art with an MA in Sculpture in 2004 and a BFA from the University College for the Creative Arts, Farnham in 2001. Selected solo exhibitions include Menagerie, Harewood House, Leeds, UK (2020); Dichotomy, The Harley Gallery, Welbeck, UK (2018); Secrete, Galerie Huit, Kwun Tong, Hong Kong (2016); Scissure, La Galerie Particulière, Paris, France (2018); Covert, Musée de la Chasse et de la Nature, Paris, France (2014); Lure, Cheongju International Craft Biennale, South Korea (2013); Host, Pertwee, Anderson & Gold, London, UK (2011) and Issue, M2 Gallery, London, UK (2005).