As an artist that initially felt isolated and uncomfortably distanced from everyday life working within a studio, I started my practice over twenty five years ago creating site specific public art installations, engaging local communities with the belief that art has the power to bridge divides within society. The creative process is still all about making connections for me, within my practice as an artist facilitator, as well as a collaborator and sculptor. At the core of my work is an ethos of accessibility, incorporating found objects and materials, using low tech methods of construction to create abstract assemblages that reference domestic and architectural space.
These mixed-media constructions combine a rhythmical, systematic design and geometric structure with softer, flexible elements that allow for chance variations. Work is led primarily by an intuitive response to contrasting or opposing materials, leading to often unexpected outcomes. These playful interactions, surprising and yet familiar, seek to create a sense of balance and tension, building dynamic connections between materials and the surrounding space, animated through the use of colour, light and shadow.
I have been strongly influenced by the artwork of Action Space’s learning disabled artists, Linda Bell and Nnena Kalu. Their abstract, process-led installations show an honest and direct response to materials, free from conventional constrictions; an approach that I seek to mirror within my own sculptural practice.
Qualifications and training
1998 - ART IN ARCHITECTURE MA (DISTINCTION), University of East London, London
1989 - CREATIVE ARTS BA Hons (First Class), Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham
Group exhibitions
2021 FLUX EXHIBITION, Greenwich Design District
2021 FAIR ART FAIR 'CURATED 1', Unit 1 Gallery, London
2021 FRONTEER ART GALLERY, 'UNITY AND LOCKDOWN', Sheffield
2021 FLUX REVIEW V2 EXHIBTION (online exhibition)
2021 THE ARTIST STORY, ARTISTE CULTURE (online exhibition)
2021 THE HOLY ART GALLERY, LONDON (online exhibtion)
2014 OUTDOOR SCULPTURE EXHIBITION, One Church Street Gallery, Bucks
2012 GARDEN OPTICS, Hannah Peschar Sculpture Garden, Ockley, Surrey
Private commissions
2004 - ‘Q’ WINDOW DISPLAY COMMISSION, CONRAN RESTAURANTS LTD, Quaglino's , St James', London
Public commissions
2018 ‘X-CHANGE’, SOUND MINDS WANDSWORTH ARTS FRINGE EVENT, a community engagement installation project focusing on local regeneration and urban development, working in partnership with the mental health arts charity ‘Sound Minds’, Battersea
2016 - WISP WARRIORS PUBLIC ART PROJECT, WANDSWORTH, fundraised and managed project with Wandsworth Interim Schools Project, creating a video installation for the Wandsworth Arts Fringe Festival and temporary public art for Southside shopping centre
2015 - BEATRIX POTTER PRIMARY SCHOOL PLAYGROUND PUBLIC ART , fundraised and managed school print project, supported by printmaker Patricia Finnegan, installing vitreous enamelled multi-panel playground artwork
2015 - ‘STRETCH AND SQUEEZE’ LOVE FESTIVAL COMMISSION, RFH , collaborative temporary installation working with Action Space artist Linda Bell as part of the Summer ‘Love Festival’, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank
2015 - ‘OUT OF PLACE’ WANDSWORTH LIBRARY PUBLIC ART PROJECT , lead artist/fundraiser for ACE funded partnership project with Wandsworth Libraries/GLL: program of community ipad and art engagement/events with interactive ipad trail and temorary public artwork, Balham/Tooting Libraries
2014 - the heART of libraries, WANDSWORTH LIBRARY SERVICES, lead artist for collaborative new technology and art community pilot project
2013 - STEP BEYOND TEMPORARY PUBLIC ART TRAIL, EARLSFIELD, lead artist collaborating with writer Sarah Butler on word art schools project, Wandsworth Arts Festival
2011-13 - SENSE NATIONAL DAY CENTRE COMMISSIONS, deaf blind family focused projects exhibited at ‘Touching Art’, Arts Depot, Barnet and the Free Space Gallery, Kentish Town Health Centre
2010 - ‘NATURAL RHYTHM’, TEDDINGTON HEALTH CENTRE, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
2009 - AMNESTY/UNA COMMISSION, Twickenham, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
2008 - LEGACY RECOGNITION COMMISSION, SENSE HEAD OFFICE, Kings Cross, London
2007 - HOUSING REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, Commissioned by Public Art Wales, Grangetown, Cardiff
2006 - ‘HOT SPOTS’ COMMISSION, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames , Hatherop Park
2005 - FINSBURY PARK SCULPTURE TRAIL, Collaborative public art project commissioned by Action Space, London
2004 - ‘ENCLOSURE’, ‘OUTDOOR HABITATS’ EXHIBITION , MoDA (Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture) , Barnet, London
2004 - RIVERCONE MARKERS COMMISSION, Commissioned by Lea Rivers Trust, Stratford, London
2003 - 'CHIME LINES' - CULTURAL MAPPING RIVERSIDE COMMISSION, Commissioned by Public Art Leicester, Leicester City Council , Leicester
2003 - SOMERFORD GROVE ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND, Play structures commissioned by Haringey Play Association, Tottenham, London
2002 - 'POINT2POINT', SHADWELL BASIN PUBLIC ART COMMISSION, Commissioned by the Lea Rivers Trust, funded by the Pool of London Partnership, Wapping, London
2001 - ‘ARC X 3’, WHITE LION RETAIL PARK COMMISSION, Commissioned by South Bedfordshire District Council in association with Commissions East, Dunstable
2000 - THE NORTH LYNN RINGS COMMISSION, Commissioned by King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Council in association with Commissions East, King's Lynn
1998 - ‘BLUE FOLD’ PUBLIC ART COMMISSION, Commissioned by ‘Heart of Hackney’/Tesco Stores Ltd in association with Michael Aukett Architects, Hackney, London
1995 - WATERWHEEL - ‘UP A CUT 95’, Fundraised to stage event and commission site specific artworks, Nottingham Canalside
Research
2014 - a-n NEW COLLABORATIONS RESEARCH BURSARY, collaborative research project with arts manager, Sheryll Catto and learning disabled Action Space artist, Linda Bell
2004 - ‘COLLABORATIVE PUBLIC ARTWORKS WITH LEARNING DISABLED ARTISTS’ , A research project funded by the Arts Council’s ‘Grants for the Arts’ Scheme, London
