Holly Hendry — Hot Mess artwork bio

In a world in which art is often made to be untouchable, Holly Hendry’s Hot Mess has been created to be handled and felt.

Taking the form of comically oversized everyday objects on an enlarged steel keyring, this generous work is made from durable materials designed to be picked up and set back down again within domestic spaces. Described by Hendry as a “sculptural exploration device”, its haptic nature and surreal proportions invites you to probe at its textures and reflect on themes of ownership, material attachments, and how accumulated detritus—those bottom-of-the-bag bits—can become symbolic extensions of ourselves.

From a jangling set of steel and aluminium keys to a tooth cast in Jesmonite, a ceramic dog treat, and a strip of pigmented silicone chewing gum, each object exists as a physical prompt which transcends beyond its familiar form—encouraging us to question our roles within a consumerist society.

(Commissioned by Sculpture Placement Group)