Marvellous Mechanics: Fi’s Story

Burrowed in a boat with a head full of stories, Fi Henshall brings objects and characters to life.

Fi grew up in a book shop and was fed stories her whole life, and from the creativity found in between books and on top of shelves, she began creating automata. Her creations are often sparked by an object that simply draw her in, or “a character I just want to make happen”. She works mainly in wood, old tins, and small old items of the sort found at the back of a shed.

These materials come together to mechanically re-enact fragments of dream-like narratives. Once she begins creating her pieces, she finds it hard to stop, obsessing over every little detail as she tries to illustrate a little of the everyday.

“Maybe even more than that though the way I live affects it.”

Fi’s workshop, a historic barge on the Penryn river, inspires and shapes her work. The boat itself is like a giant automaton. It’s a hub of problem solving, making the impossible happen, a feat of engineering. Perhaps through this that Fi has begun building electronic sound and lighting into her work to enhance the theatrics.

Fi is one of Cabaret Mechanical Theatre’s artists, and her work is included in both national and international collections. She says “it’s lovely to keep having an automata presence in Cornwall, this has always been where a lot of the automata are and it’s nice to see that carrying on happening.”

Watch Fi’s story…