Tanis Saxby

My mother taught me how to use my hands, how to feel their quiet intelligence and recognize their connection to the heart. That early understanding became the foundation of my practice and I came to fully embrace making sculptures as an intuitive, sensory experience, one that begins not with concept alone, but with touch, presence, and trust in the body.

My artistic discipline is rooted in porcelain clay sculpture, guided by a deeply sensory approach to making. I work primarily with porcelain for its delicacy, strength, and luminous, skin-like surface. Through it, I explore how sculpture can be experienced not only visually, but through the full body.

My practice is inspired by the senses, touch, scent, sight, and the subtle emotional responses they awaken. I integrate sensual materials into my porcelain works to expand the encounter beyond observation. Silk is sometimes combined with the porcelain surface to introduce a sensual softness both visually and tactilely; perfume oils, which I personally distill from flowers grown in my garden, are infused into the sculptures to create an intimate olfactory dimension, hand crafted pearls are also incorporated, adding a quiet visual elegance and serving as focal points that deepen both the conceptual and sensory experience. These elements invite viewers to move closer, to interact, to become present and to feel, transforming the sculpture into a lived, embodied experience.

By integrating sensual elements into sculptural objects, the work gently invites viewers to slow down and engage their bodies as sites of perception. In a culture increasingly dominated by screens and rapid visual consumption, it emphasizes a quieter, more subtle sensory register. The encounter becomes durational rather than instantaneous, shaped by breath, proximity, and subtle shifts in awareness. In this way, the work fosters a heightened sense of presence, of being grounded in one’s own breathing body, within a specific space, at a particular moment in time.

As an artist, my priority is to create sculptures that do not simply occupy space, but activate it sensorially. I believe that when we truly experience our senses, we become more embodied and more present in our lives. By engaging with the work through multiple senses, the viewer is encouraged to interact not only with the sculpture, but with themselves, grounded in the present moment.

About

Tanis is a Canadian sculptor based in Vancouver, whose artisitic journey has evolved by both formal training and international experience. She began her career as an apprentice, which gave her a foundation in craftmanship before pursuing formal education. Saxby studied at The University of Victoria and later at kootenay School of the Arts in Canada, which helped hone her skills and artistic voice.

Her career took a notable turn when she was accepted into a residency in France, a country renowned for its artistic history. This residency resides where Pablo Picasso also studied ceramics and played a pivotal role in shaping her artistic vision, combining tradition with innovation and inspiring her to explore new techniques alongside a rich history of ceramic art.

Her creations reflect a blend of mastery and creative exploration, deeply influenced by her Canadian roots and international experiences. Today, Saxby’s sculptures are displayed in private and public collections world-wide and she continues to sell and ship her ceramic and mixed-media sculptures globally.

“An artist earns the right to call themselves a creator only when they admit to themselves they are but an instrument.” Henry Miller