The Sun and the North Wind

Aesop's fable of the Sun and the North Wind is usually interpreted as a lesson in the art of gentle persuasion.  In the fable the Sun always wins.  The relentless power of the North Wind triggers a bitter battle for survival as the traveller's cloak is pulled ever tighter around him.  The Sun's warmth coaxes the cloak from the traveller.

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I have always felt that there is more to this story, and to its lessons for life.  A scorching sun can be as violent as a freezing wind; in many ways it can be more dangerous.  And a cooling wind can overcome a vibrant sun, creating and transporting rain clouds.    

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I have designed the chess set in order to play with these  ideas.  The Sun might not win.  The outcome depends on how each player deploys their pieces, creating their own story. 

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Clay was the ideal material for my chess set.  Hand building allowed me to create natural flowing shapes that sit pleasantly in the hand. The kings are inspired by marble busts of Socrates and Herodotus.  The cloak of the North Wind's queen folds and billows, while the cloak of the Sun queen hangs loosely.  Each pawn, rook, bishop and knight is unique but part of a whole.

 

The stormy purple black glazes of the North Wind contrast with the citrus yellow, verdant green and tin white of the Sun.

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The Sun and the North Wind chess set will be exhibited at The Morley Gallery, 61 Westminster Bridge Rd London SE1 7HT 19th to 28th November 2026