Gloria, named after Kenneth MacMillan’s play, draws on the ballet’s delicate balance of sorrow, grace, and transcendence. Like much of my work, Gloria sits within my ongoing exploration of dance as a vessel for the human spirit and how movement can hold both fragility and strength, both grief and hope. The small bronze at the centre appears modest, almost reserved, but when illuminated it expands into two soaring shadow-dancers whose gestures echo the emotional arc of MacMillan’s piece.

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Creating this piece demanded a subtle, almost meditative balancing act. Shadow work always borders on the edge of collapse as every fragment of sculpture must be positioned with absolute precision. The slightest shift transforms the entire choreography on the silhouettes. With Gloria, that challenge became part of the meaning. The physical delicacy of the sculpture mirroring the emotional delicacy of the story it honours.