Olivia Bax’s Step into Wind Eyes turns sculpture into something physical, immersive and slightly unpredictable.
Rather than presenting objects simply to be looked at from a distance, Bax creates large-scale installations that invite visitors to move around them, peer through openings and become aware of their own bodies in relation to the work.
Using found materials such as mesh, chicken wire, paper pulp and reclaimed objects, she builds colourful structures that seem to sit somewhere between playground equipment, makeshift barricades and unfinished buildings. The sculptures often look fragile and improvised at first glance, yet they are carefully constructed and precisely balanced.
The exhibition’s title comes from the Old Norse phrase meaning “window” — literally “wind eye”. This idea runs throughout the exhibition, where gaps, openings and shifting viewpoints encourage visitors to keep looking from different angles. Bax is interested in how people physically experience sculpture: not only how it looks, but how it changes as you walk around it, look through it or encounter it from close range. The works create a sense of movement and instability, as though they could still be growing, collapsing or rearranging themselves.
One of the most striking aspects of the exhibition is the contrast between weight and playfulness. Materials usually associated with industry or temporary barriers are transformed through vivid colour, texture and unexpected shapes into something energetic and inviting. Bright colours soften the industrial feel of the wire and mesh, giving the sculptures a lively, almost cartoon-like presence. Some forms appear awkward or precarious, while others suggest climbing frames, baskets of toys or theatrical sets, creating a tension between seriousness and fun.
Although the sculptures can seem chaotic, there is a strong sense of rhythm and control in the way Bax arranges lines, curves and spaces. The viewer is constantly encouraged to navigate around the works, discovering new perspectives and relationships between solid surfaces and empty space. This interaction between body, movement and structure makes the exhibition feel active rather than static.
Step into Wind Eyes is a tactile and engaging exhibition that highlights Bax’s distinctive approach to contemporary sculpture. By combining rough everyday materials with bold colour and playful spatial design, she creates works that challenge traditional ideas about what sculpture can be and how audiences can experience it.
Step into Wind Eyes continues until Saturday 27 June 2026 at East Gallery, Cavendish House, St Andrews Street, Norwich, NR2 4AE.
Opening times are Tuesday to Friday, 12 noon to 5pm, and Saturday, 12 noon to 4pm. Entry is free.