Sophia-Ellen Dorgan

In my practice, I investigate overlooked forms and marks left behind in everyday surroundings, specific configurations that often go unnoticed. I create a dialogue between the beautiful and the grotesque, elevating what is typically discarded or dismissed. Spilt substances and other seemingly ‘gross’ materials form the basis of my growing archive. These neglected structures reveal themselves as dynamic, evolving entities existing on the edge of perception.

Fascinated by their material makeup, I examine them under the microscope, cultivating organisms within petri dishes. I then translate these observations through etching and embroidery, transforming harsh structures into delicate, gestural images. In doing so, I place the grotesque on a pedestal, reframing decay as something worthy of contemplation.

'Beauty in the Breakdown' explores the tension between decomposition and creation. The work blends art and science, presenting prints, living mould on embroidered canvas, petri dish samples, and a digital archive to highlight my findings.