The Chertsea Oyster

Oysters have an association with value and wealth due to the possibility of them holding pearls however in Tudor times these would have been common food for the poor as well as the rich due to the plentiful quantity available in Britain’s many bodies of Water. The decorative flourishes added to this artwork suggest value, but could also suggest the visual culture of places far across the sea.

Objects found washed up by the sea or by rivers inspire Madi Acharya-Baskerville’s practice. These objects are included or reproduced in her work. As artist and visual storyteller Acharya Baskerville creates, artworks that encourage the viewer to think about the history and origin of these objects. In her sculpture The Chertsey Oyster, she takes the idea of an oyster shell and plays with scale. By giving a tiny object a size that corresponds with the human face and adding eyeholes she transforms the shell into a mask. The association of masks with storytelling and performance invites the viewer to take their own place in the story. 

This work is in the permanent collection at The Lightbox as part of 20/20 residency and commission developed by Decolonizing Institute, University of Arts, London.