In the Design House, Nina Saunders, Endless Devotion, 2011

Nina Saunders
Endless Devotion
2011
Chair, Sanderson fabric, gold leaf, hand carved wooden legs, upholstery materials
62 x 77 x 45 cm
2ft ⅖ x 2ft 6 ³⁄₁₀ x 1ft 5 ⁷⁄₁₀ in.

Nina Saunders works across a wide range of materials, creating sculptures that are humorous yet quiet and contemplative, encouraging the viewer to question what they are at looking at. Her work plays with the function of the domestic object, subversively questioning our ways of thinking and the world we inhabit.

Endless Devotion is a tribute to craftsmanship. The found chair which inspired the sculpture was the project of an apprentice, with each leg displaying variations of beautifully detailed carved designs. The back of the chair had been previously broken and hung below the seat, creating a fascinating curved form. Saunders added the second pair of gilded claw-footed legs to the padded seat of the original chair, and the seat is flung back. The sculpture, with its prophesied title of 'endless devotion' suggests an act of love. The chair, in its devotion, has become warped from its typical form. The phrase 'bending over backwards' comes to mind, with the seat having physically exceeded the limits of expectation. Speaking to the artist, she reflected on the femininity of the piece; the form of the chair, altered through an act of unconditional love, alludes to childbirth and motherhood. A body changed from its idealised form; it speaks to 'how much you have to give of yourself, devotion to craft, devotion to love, devotion to humanity- bringing the world forward.' (Saunders)

In all elements of this sculpture, the attention to detail effectuates a hopeful resilience. The floral upholstery is reminiscent of new life and beginnings. The hand-carved chair legs were found in a box after the Second World War, by the son of a carpenter. Though old, Saunders found the legs to be surprisingly strong, and she pasted them in gold leaf, celebrating their craftsmanship and gilding them as a beacon of tenacity. Through this metamorphosis, the chair is rendered entirely unique; altered, flexible and powerful - it is the work of generations. The sculpture is a celebration of the time and devotion invested by makers, be they Mothers, carvers or craftspeople, Endless Devotion is a testament to the unwavering strength of humanity.

Nina Saunders was born in Odense, Denmark in 1958 and now lives and works in London. Saunders trained at Central St Martin's, London, studying Fine Art and Critical Studies. Recent solo exhibitions include Sculpture in the City, London (2019), Nocturnal Creatures, Whitechapel Art Gallery, London (2019) and I Heard a Voice in the Midst of the Four Beasts, KUNSTEN- Museum of Modern Art, Aalborg, Denmark, (2017). Her upcoming exhibition, Nina Saunders - Let's Talk About the Baby, opens on the 24th April 2026 at Randers Kunstmuseum, Denmark.