Portrait of an Artist | Kari Furre - Sculptor
Artist Kari Furre uses an antique West Country, slate-bladed knife to scrape off the scales, then flips the skin over to pare away the layers of fat and fibres with a sharper curved metal blade
I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing sculptor and fabricator Kari Furre for the FT Weekend a few months ago. Kari, based in Devon, South West England works with the traditionally Nordic material of fish skin to create beautiful and unusual sculptures.
Kari also uses plaice, salmon and cod for bookbinding, hats and waistcoats, masks and baskets. Her raw materials are sourced from the fishing port of Brixham in Devon. She relies on the chefs in local restaurants who take fresh catches and save their carefully trimmed skins especially for her. Take a look at Kari's website here.
Fish skins hung in Kari's studio.
Kari working in her Devon based studio.
Vellum bowls on stands - vellum, copper and gold leaf.
A freshly tanned fish leather
Fish skin's hung to dry much to the delight of the local cat population.
A 'mermaid purse' sculpture.