Searching for Witches Butter by Evelyn Albrow

Evelyn Albrow completed this stoneware charger in autumn, and the piece reflects the mood and atmosphere of that season. It was inspired in part by the large lantern parade that takes place annually in her local park, where, at dusk, glowing paper and willow creatures wind through the dark woodland. Evelyn describes the event as magical and otherworldly, with an uncanny, sometimes eerie quality that she finds captivating.

The charger is named after a type of fungi from folklore, believed to appear after a witch’s curse and known for feeding on rotting wood. Despite Evelyn’s limited knowledge of fungi, the name and its folkloric associations captivated her. Her local landscape often serves as inspiration, and for this piece, a large rotting tree stump found in the Yorkshire Sculpture Park sparked her creativity. She and her companions climbed into the hollow stump, creating their own interpretation of Daphne, the mythological figure who transforms into a tree. Artistic portrayals of Daphne, particularly those by Antonio Pollaiuolo (1431–1498), which vividly capture the metamorphosis, greatly influenced Albrow.

At the time of making the charger, Evelyn was also listening to a lecture on Hildegard of Bingen, whose mediaeval manuscripts inspired the use of blues and reds in the figure. The candles burning on the figure’s head and the overall design reflect the surreal mysticism drawn from Hildegard’s work, blending folklore, mythology, and mediaeval influences into a richly layered piece.

Stoneware charger

52D cm

2024