Robyn Gillmore’s installation ‘The Grown-ups Table’ delves into the concept of nostalgia, particularly how childhood memories shape our present identities. The installation displays three sculptures, ‘Act I: Solstice’, ‘Act II: Thorns’ and ‘Act III: Solitude’ which all present scenes based on her youth. These structures are purposefully reminiscent of a theatrical performance, with each act recounting a distinct emotional chapter of her childhood; Act I: Solstice evokes the comfort and innocence of early memories, Act II: Thorns speaks to domestic conflict and discomfort, and Act III: Solitude offers a soft-spoken epiphany.

These scenes aim to take the viewer on a journey through the past and have them unpeel the complexities of childhood memories. Robyn uses sculpture as a medium to reconstruct and reinvent these familiar spaces and objects from childhood; working with clays, casting resins and other materials used in model making and set design to achieve this. The viewer becomes an active participant in the installation, their movement guided by a pathway of hanging resin stars, both welcoming them and acting as silent spectators. Each piece of the installation adds to a distinct narrative of feeling bound by experience which aims to evoke an emotional reaction in the viewer.

Nostalgia is an indescribable feeling; it cannot be placed inside a box of being a positive or negative, it just exists as its own theoretical concept. Whilst Robyn’s work draws personal experiences, it seeks to evoke universal themes of transformation, loss, and growth in the viewer, creating a shared human experience.