Load Bearing, mixed-media artwork by Michelle Gow constructed from timber elements exploring structure and support.
Detail of stacked compressed timber from Load Bearing by Michelle Gow.

Load Bearing
2026
Charred timber, acrylic and ash
40 × 50 × 3 cm

Load Bearing explores balance, support and structural dependence through charred timber and layered forms. Interlocking elements suggest systems held in tension, where weight, pressure and instability coexist. Burns, fractures and exposed grain reveal the traces of stress, endurance and the gradual effects of time.

Detail of stacked compressed and scorched timber from Load Bearing by Michelle Gow.