Ana-Maria Pasescu-Stewart on her childhood in Romania, Gardening, and the joy of using your hands.

Formerly the Senior Art Director of Experiences at Burberry, Ana Maria has spent her lockdown at home, bringing life to her garden and freshly baked bread to her kitchen. For her celebration of life at home, she created a set of handmade sculptures made from salt dough; egg cups, delicate vases and a little kitchen dish - with all the indentations and imperfections that come with using natural, earthy materials. They are inspired by her childhood in Romania, using the natural substances around her to create functional objects. It is something she is still harnessing today.

We talked to Ana Maria about a slowed-down life - from the beauty of using your hands to a newfound appreciation for home (cracks and all).

Tell us what inspired these beautiful sculptures.

Since I was about four I remember playing with what was around me either at home in Bucharest or on my grandmother’s farm. Romanian children in the 80’s played with really basic things. We played with dolls and toys made from vegetables, fruit, bread, and clay.

The bread sculptures are really a continuation of this tradition of which I’m still experimenting with. I made a few loaves of bread to begin with and got totally hooked once I began sculpting with leftover dough. I began to sculpt functional objects that I needed around the home such as candle holders and egg cups. I have used a slightly altered salt dough recipe to make all the items last for as long as I need them. The collection is constantly growing!

How have you embraced the slower pace of life since lockdown began?

Since lockdown began I have become more aware of everything. Myself, my husband, my dog, my surroundings, and my neighbours. It is like looking under a microscope. You notice things about yourself and your life that you didn’t know before.

What inspires you most about your home?

The crooked ceilings and all the imperfections. The beetles that live under one side of the kitchen door frame. They casually come out in the evenings… I am always changing arrangements in corners, on walls, and on tables at home. I see our home as a constantly evolving canvas of movable objects and decorations. I create a world I want to see.

What are the main sources that keep you creative?

When I feel stuck and need a visual kick: Parallel Encyclopedia by Batia Sutter. A book on found images in new contexts provoking surprising reactions.

Codex Seraphinianus XXXIII, by Luigi Serafini. One of the strangest and most beautiful art books ever made.

I'm currently reading Married to a Bedouin by Marguerite van Geldermalsen. It’s a great story of love and adventure. In short, a woman travels around Jordan and falls in love with a Bedouin man and his way of life. It’s fantastic!

What have you been planting in your garden?

Just before lockdown, I got a call to say after an 8-month wait I had finally got my own allotment! It couldn’t have come at a better time. I had left my job to start freelancing again at the end of January, but the contract I was due to start was cancelled due to the current situation so I was so thankful to have something to focus on.

Since lockdown, I have spent so much time up there, turning over all the earth, making raised beds, pulling up all the weeds, and just feeling a sense of freedom completely covered in mud with a slight backache. It has been my saving grace, I have loved every minute!

So far I have planted: radishes, broad beans, runner beans, tomatoes, potatoes, courgettes, spring onions, melons, aubergine, carrots, strawberries, and broccoli. A lot to handle so we shall see what happens when it’s time to harvest. 

What rituals from this time do you think you’ll carry through to post-lockdown life?

To keep exploring and pushing things I want to do. I want to start a new business so we will see where that takes me. Lockdown has taught me not to rush into things. Sew it, tend to it, harvest it.

What are you grateful for today?

My husband, our dog Pippa and the time we spend together. My husband was very unwell with CV19 and is still recovering. It’s been hard and I want him to get better soon. He needs to dig up the vegetables!

It’s also so important to give your mind space to think. I’ve regained some clarity of who I am and what I really care about, personally and creatively.

What do you love most about working with your hands to create unique objects?

Freedom of expression, not one thing is the same.

With your creative studio, Paraskiva, you design and create sets, props and window displays.What role does imagination play in your work?

Imagination allows me to explore ideas of things that are not in my present environment. It is the foundation of discovery, invention and creativity in anything I do.

Where do you find the inspiration for your installations?

Nature has always played a huge part in everything I create so I have always managed to feel inspired by what is around me. I'm also obsessed with surrealism so merging the two is the perfect combination.

A step-by-step guide to creating our own bread sculptures at home. 

Ingredients:

The below is based on making one egg cup.

2 cups of flour

1 cup of salt

1 cup of water

extra flour

foil to create your egg cup skeleton.

Method

Preheat oven to 200C / Gas 7. Create your egg cup by building the skeleton from the foil. Make sure that the foil skeleton can stand upright and that the shape is solid. Mix the flour, salt, and water together to create the salt dough. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough as much as possible and begin to cover your foil skeleton bit by bit. Once you are happy with the coverage place the egg cup on a backing tray and place it in the oven to bake for 30 minutes until golden. Check it from time to time to see how it’s looking. Once you are happy take it out let it cool for 20 min. Once it has cooled down you can paint it with watercolours and acrylics. Left as it also looks interesting.

It will last a lifetime! Enjoy!