Nugget Kneeler (1999)

Staged over two weeks in London’s financial district, Nugget Kneeler took place daily on the pavement beneath the Lloyds Tower, opposite a 16th century church. A portable kneeler, built from recycled pews and folding into a briefcase, was carried into the city each morning. At the sound of the 9am church bell it was unfolded on the footpath, brushes and tins were laid out, and the leather surface was polished with Kiwi oxblood nugget until the bell tolled again at 5pm.

The leather, raw at the outset, gradually transformed into a rich translucent crimson through the repetitive labour. Extra brushes were placed around the kneeler, inviting participation from passing workers. By the second week, seven people from the surrounding business community joined during their breaks, turning the act into a shared ritual of endurance, transformation, and quiet resistance within the rhythms of the city.