Nora Normile

Chunky flowers adorn a set of cross-barred windows that will be charms in a gigantic bracelet. At EKWC Nora Normile marries the plastic aesthetics of girly toys like Polly Pocket with religious architecture, pattern and decoration. Dollhouse details blown out of proportion may appear clunky at first, but Normile’s thoughtful use of glazes and texture opens up space for the imagination. A surface that looks and feels like sandpaper belies the girly cuteness, a delicate drawing on a warped tile suddenly signals refinement. It seems such a specific, personal sphere that Normile refers to, firmly rooted in her experience of girlhood, but her play with scale and style invites wider reflections on the influences that inform our self-image. There’s a very relatable tension between expectations and the desire to escape them. And while a recurring diagonal grid suggests ubiquitous limitations, the sheer joy of making approaches something resembling freedom.