As part of the London 2012 Festival Katharine Morling has been commissioned by Stoke-on-Trent City Council to create a body of work that references the incredible significance of the world famous Staffordshire Hoard. The commission, known as Morling and the Hoard, will be installed permanently and proudly at the Potteries Museum & Art Gallery in Stoke-on-Trent and was funded by Arts Council England as part of the Cultural Olympiad programme.

Drawing inspiration from the animals that decorated the armour of the Hoard, Morling designed 10 large scale ceramic sculptures of mythological godlike creatures, that represent the deities that the Anglo Saxons might have worshiped.

The ten sculptures in Morling’s signature black and white aesthetic include a four headed falcon, an armoured bird, Byron the doar and a dragon with rider.

As well as creating the installation Morling also commissioned a stop motion video of the work in progress. Cameras were put in the studio throughout the four months capturing the making process.