Bound to Make Mistakes marks a shift in Penny’s practice, bringing his recurring “waiter” figure into three dimensions.
No longer confined to the canvas, the figure occupies space - direct, physical, and self-contained.
Rather than commenting on the role itself, the waiter becomes a broader symbol. A figure suspended between movement and stillness – working, capable, yet often navigating systems that limit progression. It reflects a tension between effort and opportunity, stability and precarity.
Carved in bamboo, the material was chosen for its strength, resilience, and renewability.
Its fast growth and durability quietly mirror the qualities embodied by the figure itself –
adaptability, persistence and lived-in strength.
While the structure remains consistent across the series,
each piece is individually hand-carved by the artist.
No two are the same, resulting in 15 entirely unique works.
Formed of 10 individual elements, each work arrives in parts – its construction left visible.
A considered, puzzle-like structure that invites interaction, extending the artist’s process into the hands of the collector.
While grounded in structure and material, the act of assembling the figure introduces a sense of participation – a reminder that, within Penny’s practice, precision and spontaneity often coexist.
