Hand Maid Artists
Ali King
Recently featured by Saatchi's chief curator Rebecca Wilson in 'The Contemporary Nude' Collection, Ali King is fast becoming a well known name as a contemporary nude botanical photographer. Ali King’s childhood experience of growing up in London, Brighton, Dublin and New York endowed her with a keen eye for the natural beauty of the landscape set within urban perimeters. Ali started her career in Dublin working on luxury fashion magazines, where she worked alongside high end fashion clients such as Gucci, Chanel, Prada, Dior to name a few to produce iconic print work. The move to London came with Ali joining Chelsea and Kensington College to study fine art photography and began the shift from fashion photography. While in London she began working for a production house that developed work for Dazed and Confused; and Vogue. Ali’s first project, Flux exhibited in Chelsea in 2012. Cyonza followed an year later in 2013. This time incorporating her love for flowers, with nature in the forefront and human in their basic element. The romance and mysticism of her subject continues in her latest series, Queens. Ali say about her work, “I would say I’m an artist that relies on intuition. I don’t produce academic art. I’m into spirituality over academia. I feel my art just is. It just exists. Like I just exist.” She currently lives and works in London
"I am an artist, I believe in the forces of chi, angels and spirit guides. My medium is photography however I do not put a lot of thought into the camera itself. For me the most important element is the vision. My own vision comes from a place of spirituality and freedom. My models and flowers exist in a realm of another world, maybe a parallel universe where material clothes do not exist and botany is the fashion of choice. This is a world I choose to exit in and wonder amongst visions of colour, freedom and honesty. I am drawn to female energy and form. When I look at a female nude, I see the same contrast of light and dark curves that exist in a flower. There is a unity in the two, a common form and aesthetic that I find hypnotic and very satisfying to watch. While working with women I get a sense of peace. Their nudity in front of my lens becomes normalised as the parallel world takes over. For me, my own naked or semi naked form brings me happiness. I have the most wonderful sense of freedom and bliss when I’m walking through Iberian beaches in summer and swimming freely in the seas. Free of clothing and baggage. There is freedom in art and I feel freedom in nature. My work is a visual representation of my own personal pleasures and happiness. It is completely self indulgent".
For Hand Maid, Ali will be exhibiting the piece 'REVA' from 'Queens' Show 2015.
Alice Steffen
Alice Steffen sculptor, was born in Cambridge, England. She studied at Glasgow School of Art, School of The Art Institute of Chicago and City and Guilds of London Art School. Alice collaborated with Gabriel Akagawa in Chicago and was part of the mould-making team for the Queen’s Jubilee Barge, 2012. Alice’s work is autobiographical. Discrimination, class, culture, language and stereotyping inform the core values of her work. The Scotsman reviewing Alice’s work wrote “If American artist Jeff Koon’s is the king of kitsch, then Alice Essex is its potential queen”. Alice has exhibited in London, Glasgow, and USA.
"My work embodies the exploration of language, pop culture, stereotypes, class, gender, identity. I take ideas from everyday experiences, class based social systems, and extreme environmental comparisons of class. These topics are transposed into my work, creating a dialogue with the viewer. My work is autobiographical, reflecting the multiple facets that define my personhood. The topics chosen are reflected in my material choices. I manipulates colour and objects, shoes, lipstick, car doors, fake nails, plums. Erasing the original labels of objects, to convey materialistic messages which can be awkward or uncomfortable, changing the dynamics of the objects in the presentation".
For Hand Maid, Alice will be exhibiting the piece 'Desert Flower'.
Anna Berry
In 2015 Anna exhibited, amongst other places, in Iceland and Orlando, Florida (as part of the ‘Art In Odd Places’ festival). She was also shortlisted for the Adam Reynolds Memorial Bursary. In the past few years, She has exhibited at galleries such as The Royal West of England Academy, and in 2013, was shortlisted for ‘Open Cube’ at White Cube in London. She has recently completed residencies in Brush Creek, Wyoming and Fljotstunga, Iceland.
"I create site-specific installations, often with paper, sometimes kinetic, as well as working with photography. My work is often essentially ephemeral, and can have resonances with the body. Sometimes the process of creating installation becomes the piece itself, bridging a hinterland between installation and performance. My work is also concerned with how cognition shapes reality, and hence how the nature of reality differs from what we perceive. I likes to draw attention to how our minds impose categories upon a chaos and create the world as we know it. As well as undermining the fabric of reality, I am also often toying with arbitrary cultural notions like gender, race, nationality, and religion".
For Hand Maid, Anna will be exhibiting the piece 'Berger'.
Anna Rocchi
Anna Rocchi was born and raised in a small Italian town on the Adriatic Sea in 1989. She bought her first camera in her early teenage years because she wanted to take pictures of all the bands she loved to watch playing live. Motivated by curiosity, in 2012 she moved to the UK, where she graduated in Museum and Gallery Studies at Kingston University. Anna is now based in south London, where she has taken a great interest in photographing its streets and especially the way people and buildings create visual and virtual patterns, lines and stories when they interact. Anna practices both analogue and digital photography.
My project is entitled It's only skin and it focuses on embracing the natural details of our skin (i.e. acne, pubic hair, grey hair, cellulite...) that society and media taught us to consider as something to be embarrassed about, annoying flaws that we have to cover up, shave off or dye. My photographs are voluntarily ambiguous and raw, as they are a self-portrait of myself as a woman who decides to openly exposing her 'flaws' and free her body and mind from that haunting idea of perfection. At the same time, I tried to put my body out of context, framing only small parts of it, so that viewers of both sexes would find it easier to recognise themselves in it.
For Hand Maid, Anna will be exhibiting the piece 'Skin 1'.
Carolyn J Whittaker
Carolyn J Whittaker Graduated from UEL in 2015 obtaining First Class Honours in Fine Art, and the Dean’s prize for Art and Design. EXHIBITIONS SOLO 2012 ‘Marking Now’, UEL 2014 ‘Metaphorical Sketches’, UEL CURATED 2013 ‘Forms of Subversion’, Caroline Gardens Chapel, Asylum Road, Peckham. 2012 ‘In and out of Form’, Darnley Road Gallery, Hackney GROUP 2015 E17, Art Trail, Walthamstow 2015 Sweet Art ‘Punch’, Espacio Gallery, Bethnal Green Road 2015 East London Showcase, UEL, Degree Show 2015 ‘Remember’, The Church of St John, Bethnal Green. 2015 ‘The Magician’s Monocle’, The Old Bath House, Hackney Wick. 2015 ‘Tondo Time’, UEL 2013 ‘Quarry’, UEL 2013 ‘Longitude- 51.581470 Latitude-0.146384' Rekindle Public Arts, Queens Wood, Highgate 2013 1st and 2nd year show, UEL 2012 ‘Get Culture’, Rekindle Public Arts, Queens Wood, Highgate 2012 Trinity Buoy Wharf.
'There is an inherent fascination in my work, with the unstoppable nature of time’s ability to change things; the knowledge that different outcomes – whether desired or not at the outset – will emerge. I invite the viewer to occupy the space within the boundaries of risk associated with ephemeral sculptural performances, whether this is melting ice, wax or ice cream. My series of photographic images, start to investigate the recordings of the sculptural per-formances, together with abstraction of the original forms. However unpredictable the meta-morphosis, I have found that the female form always emerges and is represented in some way, while the sculpture performs'.
For Hand Maid, Carolyn will be exhibiting the piece 'Jelly Marks the Spot'.
Alexandra Gribaudi
Alexandra is an Italo-British artist who grew up in France. She is currently studying at Central Saint Martins and will be graduating this year.
"My work revolves around a search to recover the experience of the everyday from the categorisations that have come to define our relation to reality. Because the body organically builds our experience of life through the senses, I see the body as key to this research. My own body is made central to my practise through the act of making. As a woman I am exploring the way my physicality is defined by my cultural heritage. Making allows me to unravel the many different threads from which my own everyday is woven."
For Hand Maid, Alexandra will be exhibiting the series 'Drawing Couples'.
Charlene C Lam
Charlene C Lam is a designer and emerging artist from New York City, currently transplanted to London. Working frequently with words, thread, photography and paper, her work has been exhibited at the Brooklyn Museum in NYC; Museum of Craft and Folk Art in San Francisco, CA; and Bildmuseet contemporary art museum in Umeå, Sweden.
'My work explores the themes of longing, belonging, and belongings. As an expat and a traveler, a minority and a woman, and a frequent outsider, I enjoy playing with questions of identity and identification'.
For Hand Maid, Charlene will be exhibiting the piece 'Object/Object'.
Charlotte Hamilton
Charlotte Hamilton is a multi-media artist based in Essex and London. Currently a third year Fine Art student at Central St Martins, her work explores issues around women in society, including sexuality, pleasure and representation of women. Using a range of materials and processes, she creates work that aims to create a deeper understanding of her position as a woman today. Her current work is challenging the norms and assumptions of femininity and womanhood.
'My current work is focused around my personal relationship to myself, particularly related to my position as a woman, and also my external relationships. This is most often a way of examining ideas of femininity and the ability of women to express themselves in modern society'.
For Hand Maid, Charlotte will be exhibiting the piece 'Mirror Selfies'.
Cherelle Sappleton
Cherelle Sappleton is a visual artist working and living in London, England. She initially started out with a performative practice whilst studying Fine Art and Drama jointly at Bath Spa School of Art. However, after graduating in 20016 and taking a break of four years, Sappleton focused her practise on photographic media and image making whilst undertaking postgraduate study. After completing a Postgraduate Diploma in Fine Art at Byam Shaw School of Art in 2011, she then went on to graduate from the MA Fine Art program at Central Saint Martins College of Arts and Design in 2013.
'I am interested in the representation of the (female) body, the politics inherent in photographic images depicting the (female) body as well as their materiality. My practice is a process of emancipation and resistance, it is through the use of photography, moving image and installation that I try to gain a sense of agency'.
For Hand Maid, Cherelle will be exhibiting the piece 'With Attitude (A Show of Hands Series)'.
Cheryl Papasian
Cheryl Papasian is a London sculptor juxtaposing handcrafted bronze and ceramic objects with mass-produced objects. Her sculptures and installations comprise high and low sculptural materials with an excess of artificiality and luxury, She has an MA Fine Art from Chelsea College of Art 2013, is a member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors and has been shortlisted for the Red Mansion Prize 2014 and Future Map 2013. Cheryl has been artist in residence in Japan, Beijing, Scotland and Switzerland from 2013 to 2015. She has a studio in London and exhibits in the UK and internationally.
'My cast bronze, aluminium and ceramic sculptures are often combined with inexpensive manufactured objects. Materiality is an important feature in my practice and current research involves geology, rare earth metals and geodes. I question how worth and depth operate amid the constant proliferation of objects that fill the modern world and examine the relationships between possessions and pleasure. Investigating what I see as a closing gap between high and low culture has led to installations that try to achieve a sense of balance between traditional materials that may be disappearing from use and abundant new commodified objects'.
For Hand Maid, Cheryl will be exhibiting the piece 'Perles du Lac III'.
Dagmar Riegar
Dagmar's career in the fine arts started in 1983 when she showed her works in Salzburg, Austria. After that she took part in many competitions and exhibitions and changed her style more than once. She was having a solo exhibition at the university of Salzburg in 1987 as well as one in Cafè da Vinci in Linz in 2010. Dagmar's works were shown not only in Austria but also in Istanbul, London (latest show: Sacred and Profane), Birmingham and of course on the Internet. Dagmar Rieger lives and works mostly in Austria and she has no special university education in arts, she is more or less an autodidactive person. Her works are created mostly on paper in her own very special techniques that could be seen as a mixture of painting and comic drawing. She also works with all sorts of fabric, makes embroideries and creates figures.
'My work relates to female representation in modern society'.
For Hand Maid, Dagmar will be exhibiting the piece 'Fantasma'.
Daniel O'Sullivan
Daniel O'Sullivan, English artist living in Madrid, develops his art in the genre of figurative emphasizing the significance of the human face. He graduated in Fine Arts at Leeds Metropolitan University, where he had the opportunity to exchange a stay at the Complutense University of Madrid. It is this city that witnessed its first major change, the city he loves so much that he decided to live there. Without abandoning his passion for art, he made several exhibitions both collective and individual; as well as specific assignments, but life in one point pushed him to keep that passion in a drawer, until in 2012, the need and the desire to create, exceeded the daily obligations and decided on a series of pieces "Soul Mining "to show that passion, had not extinguished at any time.
'My current work is an attempt to put the viewer in a direct relationship with painting and painting as an object in itself. It is my attempt to go beyond the skin and flesh without stopping at the mere mimetic representation. I try to delve below the surface of the individual, their expressions and gestures, the artist has endless possibilities, ignoring the superficial or what a look can utter. It is the face which opens the door to the intimacy of their soul'.
For Hand Maid, Daniel will be exhibiting the piece 'The Sanctuary Of Youthful Indifference'.
Dianne Murphy
Dianne murphy graduated in 1985 with a 2:1 in fine art from Duncan of Jordanstone college of art, Dundee. She has lectured in art colleges in Wales and has exhibited widely with pieces held in collections throughout the world. She has been involved in many social projects over the years and currently lives in the Welsh valleys with her family.
'The Images of childhood form my visual language which I use to discuss perceived injustices along with a range of personal ideas. Most of my work consists of Steel plate colour inked etchings: coloured inks are applied in one application and printed in one pull. This is a labour intensive process but, coupled with the ochre background, it produces a mellow and faded tone. Fabriano Rosapino paper also helps impart the mood of something that is not new. Each print is slightly different as during the wiping process colours merge and are altered'.
For Hand Maid, Dianne will be exhibiting the piece 'Wee Lassie'.
Elefteria Macha
Eleftheria Macha is a visual artist, born in Athens, Greece. She completed Foundation diploma in Art and Design in Plakas Art Centre, Athens. She then acquired a BA(Hons) in Computer Games Design (Story Development) from University of East London, which was followed by a year of studying painting and sculpture in Athens School of Fine Arts. She recently completed her MFA in Fine Arts at Wimbledon College of Art, UAL. Her work consists of digitally manipulated images, painting, photography, video and installation. She currently lives and works in London, UK.
'My work is a by-product of my attempts at personal philosophy, with the body being at its centre. I use the female body as a default, as it is charged with controversy; it can be associated with comfort and uneasiness. Society and the media are trying to restrict it within tight frames, which create the desire for escape, keeping the notion of “The personal is political” always relevant. The escape that can deliver the female body and offer it catharsis, is acceptance and I use the medium of art activism to achieve that'.
For Hand Maid, Eleftheria will be exhibiting the piece 'Santini'.
Emily Howard
Emily Howard studied Fashion Illustration at London College of Fashion and graduated in 2015. She has previously shown work in the hoxton gallery and a window installation at Vogue Fabrics nightclub in Dalston whilst continuing to explore more mediums for her work.
'The subject of my work focuses on camp women, hyper glamourous to the point where it is almost grotesque. I like to create large scale images choosing a classic subject matter such as hollywood starlets and recreate them using a more contemporary material such as spray paint and acrylic'.
For Hand Maid, Emily will be exhibiting the piece 'The Impeccable Ladies'.
Emma Davis
With a Master of Arts (MA) degree in Literature and also in Fine Art, Emma studied at the Slade School of Fine Art, Chelsea College of Art and the University of York. She exhibits regularly at the Royal College of Art, Originals, Discerning Eye exhibitions, and the Other Art Fair. Recently shortlisted for the ArtSlant International Prize and represented in State Magazine's inaugural 'Visible' supplement. In 2015, she exhibited three times with Sweet'Art.
'Davis is a writer and a visual artist, always torn between semiotic means. She is greatly influenced by Howard Hodgkin, as well as by Japanese block prints and Chinese pottery. She works across a variety of media, including oils, watercolour, etchings, monoprints and pencil on paper, but all of her work really relates to drawing, an activity she finds somehow intimate. An avid traveller herself, she draws a lot on public transport, or at galleries and concerts, where people are lost in their own thoughts, their private worlds on public display, absorbed and unselfconscious. Etching makes the drawings easier to read, more permanent, more finished. Davis often adds text to her works, making reference to what is in her head, what an image suggests to her, or what sensation is conjured. The act of drawing slows her down, allowing her to access her thoughts more directly. Similarly, her watercolours are mainly about the effect and meaning of line - an abstract quality but one that refers back to pictographic languages and calligraphy." - Anna McNay'.
For Hand Maid, Emma will be exhibiting the pieces, 'Cornish Pasties', 'Don't Stand' and 'Love to take you Home'.
Felicity Tchorlian
Felicity Tchorlian is a multidisciplinary artist who explores her creativity through photography, performance art and music. Completing a Bachelor of Creative Arts at UOW in Australia, Felicity ventured off to the UK early 2015 to further explore her career paths with other emerging artists. Since arriving in the UK Felicity has held an exhibition at Brick lane Gallery, collaborated with fashion designer, Patrick Church and had publications in Cosmopolitan, Art Habens and Vulvazine. Her works aim to disturb, disgust and provoke the spectators mind, forcing them to question what they see, too raise awareness and to break the boundaries between spectator and performer.
'My works allowed women the opportunity to liberate themselves. These women photographed opening approached me, separately, to photograph them nude and to upload them on social media with great pride. But, once reports were being made and warnings were sent I soon realized the stigma society and social media had on nudity, in particular Women’s nipples. Using props and other creative medias I decided to mock the Social media demons and bring them down for trying to take away these women’s freedom'.
For Hand Maid, Felicity will be exhibiting the piece 'Clo'.
Florence Collard
Born in 1966, Florence Collard, Belgian artist, studied graphic communication and worked for 15 years as the artistic director for Marie Claire magazine situated in Belgium. Then she focused herself in fine art which has lead to exhibiting her works. Every element she chooses translates the core essence of lightness, strength and authenticity, capturing physical energy in simplistic soft, bold, and accelerated brush strokes. Through this, the intensity of the moment.
'My work: the line, life conductor. Just a line, a line that says it all: it is the sky, the sea, the horizon, as well as that of the body. The body is a constant evolution of both physical and emotional sensations. The body that is also constantly linked to other bodies and then to the space. The human body is what relates us to the world. Through the body we discover language expressed through all facets of social, cultural and the physical identities of current societies. By Following that line, it will allow us to tell many stories over and over again, stories that follow the rhythm of our thoughts'.
For Hand Maid, Florence will be exhibiting the piece 'Roots'.
George Bothamley
George Bothamley is a self taught artist, who specialises in drawing detailed pen and ink portraits and Cityscapes. He took up drawing in Spring 2012, while living a reclusive life at home, and, within weeks, was drawing highly detailed cityscapes. Up until recently, he kept the majority of his work secret and hidden away. But now, he is starting to gain much attention – both for his work, and his life. George is greatly inspired by Renaissance art, and. alongside drawing, he is also a poet, writer, and polymath with a keen interest in Philosophy, Religion, Politics and Psychology.
'My work is simple. It's just ink and paper. And, with anything I create, my only aim is for it to be raw, honest and real. So I don’t use pencil, underdrawings, first drafts or anything else – just pure pen and ink. Because I feel like that forces an artist to commit to every line they draw, and to express exactly what is in their heart at the time – whether it’s good, or bad'.
For Hand Maid, George will be exhibiting the piece 'Rosa Parks'.
Gudrun Latten
Gudrun is a member of several artist societies among them GEDOK and she promotes young (female) artists with a scholarship in one of these artist societies. Since 2014, Gudrun Latten has shown her photographs in Venice, New York, Los Angeles, Paris and other countries. She has also won several awards for her photographs. She has been selected for international catalogues and magazines. She has already published various essays and texts in the scientific field of Art History and in the field of Art Criticism.
'I’m concentrating on architectural photography, abstract photography, landscapes and staged scenes. For this competition I've chosen some of my staged scenes. I discuss aesthetic problems and questions with the photographs and I work in series. Research topics are so far the (digital) image and all its qualities, (digital) color, reality and illusion, art historical genres, pluralism in style and ambiguity of signs. My staged scenes treat the image of women, of (female) artists, business women and housewives. I work with my everyday life, with my childhood memories and objects of my personal life. This scenes are ambiguous and never work. Prototypes for my art are Surrealism and Cindy Sherman'.
For Hand Maid, Gudrun will be exhibiting the piece 'Narziss – form follows function #7'.
Han Caroline
Having life-long interests in sewing and photography means a lot of Han Caroline's work is a combination of these mediums - including pieces that she calls “photopatchwork”. Life experiences and personal recollections, especially around being queer, autistic and hard of hearing, are key features in Han’s work as she considers the identity a prominent influence on practice. Her work is usually a reflection of her attempt to understand herself and her surroundings, believing that identities are made up of many factors that intersect and collide with each other to make up people's thoughts, ideas, and how they perceive the world.
'I feel that life experience and identity are important contributing factors to art, hence why a lot of the work I make could be perceived as personal. Trying to understand parts of myself such as gender, sexuality, and disability are explored frequently in the hope that I can finally communicate my thoughts and have the viewer relate to them'.
For Hand Maid, Han will be exhibiting the piece 'Narziss – form follows function #7'.
Helen Taranowski
Helen Taranowski is a designer living in South West London. Her early working life saw her move through diverse roles in banking, administration, personal training and marketing until deciding in her early forties to pursue her childhood passion of art and design. Helen graduated from The University of Arts, London in 2015, with a Postgraduate Certificate in Design for Visual Communication. She works full-time as a graphic designer and is now furthering her creative practice with explorations of collage art.
'I’m interested in finding ways to highlight feminist issues through art and design; exploring such subjects as violence against women, beauty ideals, inequality, media representations, power and capitalism. My collage work provides a visual outlet for my personal thoughts and feelings about being a woman in a patriarchal, capitalist society'.
For Hand Maid, Helen will be exhibiting the piece 'Women Killed by Men'.
Holly Rozier
Holly Rozier is originally from Derbyshire, and is now enjoying being an artist in Brighton. She studied Fine Art at the University of Chichester, and graduated in 2013, to go on to become the Artist in Residence at St Georges School Ascot. Key and upcoming exhibitions include; Upcoming: Feminism in London Conference. London, Featured Artist- October 2016, Upcoming: Solo Exhibition. Corridor Gallery, Brighton- June 2016 ,Feminism in London Conference. London, Featured Artist- October 2015,Brighton Open Houses. Brighton- May 2015, ‘Invasion and Displacement’. St Georges School, Ascot - July 2014, and Graduates 2013 Degree Show. University of Chichester, Chichester- May 2013.
'Private challenges emotionally motivate my creative production, with the process of making becoming a means of catharsis. I channel troubles, anxieties and insecurities, that I am not otherwise sure how to deal with, into my work. Although my work derives from personal experiences, I feel the emotions I explore are ones that all women have experienced, and revolve around issues involved with being female My chosen field of practice is soft sculpture. It manifests itself as an exploration of the juxtaposition between beauty and the grotesque. It has the ability to intrigue, attract and repel the viewer simultaneously'.
For Hand Maid, Holly will be exhibiting the pieces, 'Untitled' and 'Seperation'.
Ian Law
Ian Law studied at The Bartlett School of Architecture, UCL and has always been more interested in the experimental and representational through the use of drawing, painting and physical model-making. His works have varied from figurative studies, portraiture and sculptural installations. The themes that have often driven Ian's work are those of a kind of social study; the relationship of people and places. Ian is also the co-director and founding member of Scene, a non-profit company, formed in 2014 as an accessible platform to promote the importance of art, design and architecture.
'My interest in painting stems from the technical alchemy of the painting process; the build-up of layers to form a homogenised composition and to imbue the image with a tension to keep the viewer absorbed. I am primarily interested in the human figure as a product of their socio-political-economic environment and how this shapes their character and appearance'.
For Hand Maid, Ian will be exhibiting the piece 'Live/Work Unit'.
Jane Fairhurst
In 2010 Jane Faihurst gained my MFA with distinction from Liverpool JMU Art and Design Academy. She has been exhibiting in solo and selected exhibitions and has curated shows for over 20 years.Jane has worked together with artists, museums and galleries to create multi media installations showing her own and collaborative works together with loaned artifacts, archival films and the work of invited artists. Her recent work is based upon research into ancient cultures and their resonances in the 21st century.
'I use a wide range of media including drawing, painting, mixed media, textiles and sculpture to create installations and site-specific works. I use the media most appropriate to my narrative. The work is often darkly humorous. Through collection and making I construct fictitious artefacts and create installations that respond to the ethnographic artefacts found in museum collections. I make my own interpretations with reference to environmental, political and social issues in contemporary society. As a practicing artist I engage with ethnography and anthropology through research into these subject areas that both inform and are the basis for much of my work'.
For Hand Maid, Jane will be exhibiting the piece 'Womens Work is Never Done'.
Jane Fredericks
Jane Fredericks studied Theatre Design at Nottingham University. Her art which has included painting, collage, and film has been exhibited in Europe and the Uk, most recently Whitechapel Gallery , Desire Delirium , Danger DADA on film, Return to Splendor, group exhibition Collagistes Collective, Cul de sac Gallery , Paradise Syndrome. Solo show Sloupe.
'I am intrigued by the space between real and surreal, the ambiguity created when disparate images collide, how beauty becomes odd, the sublime unnerving and the serious whimsical. I first incorporated collage in painting, then through film, and at present in pure cut and paste style'.
For Hand Maid, Jane will be exhibiting the pieces, 'Leather Glove' and 'Madame Seife'.
Jane Skinner
Jane Skinner studied Fashion and Textiles at Plymouth College of Art but subsequently became interested in Photography.
'I use dolls and action men to explore ideas inspired by popular culture, feminism, advertising,cinema and art'.
For Hand Maid, Jane will be exhibiting the pieces, 'Frida' and 'On the Beach'.
Joanna Goddard
Joanna studied Ceramics and 3D Design at Farnham Art College, now Surrey College of Art and Design, Graduating in 1993. Since graduating have established a studio, receiving a small grant for a kiln and have completed some public commissions. I continue to develop my work, with 2 solo shows recently - in an Architects practice and in a local church. I like exhibiting my work in churches and have begun this with a solo show in St Wulfrans Church of Ovingdean where I live. I am also beginning a large outdoor commission for a vineyard in Kent.
'My work is inspired by the power of Nature and its darker forces. The driving force of growth and regeneration features largely in my work alongside a playful sexual element. My work has been part of gallery exhibitions since 1990 in Brighton, London, and the South East as well as in group shows at the Crafts Council Touring & Brighton Festival Open Houses'.
For Hand Maid, Joanna will be exhibiting the piece 'Swarm Of Desire, The Nymphs Headrest'.
John Gathercole
John Gathercole studied at U.E.L and at London Met. He has exhibited and sold worldwide, including the Tate and has an extensive celebrity clientille.
'John Gathercoles work explores humour, horror and sex working mostly in oils he relishes in its qualities. The works are influenced by psychological ideas, popular culture and historical references'.
For Hand Maid, John will be exhibiting the piece 'That Was Useful Nose'.
Julia Bellamy
Julia Bellamy is a collage artist who lives and works in Brighton. She is a professionally qualified photo designer and graduated from the University of the Arts in Berlin.
'Every collage is a piece of me assembled from my thoughts, feelings, ideas and experiences. Personal and raw, fragmented and reassembled, telling stories about dreams and fantasies, struggles and pains and the desire to make sense of it all. My work is a visual diary of my continuous search for identity. “Who am I?” and “What makes me me?” are central questions of everybody’s life and I would like my work to inspire exploration as nothing matters more than who we are in the world. The issue of identity is at the heart of our society and involves everyone'.
For Hand Maid, Julia will be exhibiting the piece 'Das falsche Selbstbild (“the wrong self-image”)'.
Julia Überreiter
Julia Überreiter was born in Salzburg(Austria). She studied Multi Media Arts and is now finishing her study of Fine Arts at University of Fine Arts Vienna. She exhibited in Berlin, London, Vienna and Colorado.
'The approach my work takes is a socio politicised practice. My glance falls on everyday commodities and its absurdities - just what we call "normality". There are topics consistently popping up in my work like self-optimization, useability of human resources, compensatory consumption, high glossy retouched gender stereotypes, bodypolitics, ... An inner discomfort, my antipathy is what drives my multidisciplinary work'.
For Hand Maid, Julia will be exhibiting the pieces, 'The Bigger The Better' and 'The Bigger The Better'.
Klaus is Koming
London.
'well, i am interested in the rude to the lewd to the downright krewd. i kombine linguistiks and the challenges of censorship with a filthy fascination for vintage pornography, straddling a space somewhere between chomsky and the chapman brothers. i like to kall myself an 'artist' so i kan get away with looking at porn all day without my mother worrying about me. by re-appropriating the kontext and function of porn mags, i konkoct images which are celebratory, bold and salaciously fun - allowing for a more kolloquial konversation around 'sex ed'.
For Hand Maid, Klaus is Koming will be exhibiting the pieces, 'Mirelle' and 'Barbie'.
Laura Benetton
Laura Benetton is a London based Italian artist. She studied painting in Venice at the Academy of Fine Art and sculpture at TAM Art Metal-Working School in Pietrarubbia (Pesaro-Urbino), Italy, supervised by sculptor Arnaldo Pomodoro and under the artistic direction of sculptor Nunzio. She has worked between Venice, Istanbul, Pesaro, Florence and London. Arnaldo Pomodoro’s artist in residence 2008. Performer for Alicia Framis (50 Venice Biennale), Yona Freedman’s assistant (51 Venice Biennale), Olafur Eliasson’s student (51 Biennale Venice). Luca Buvoli’s Assistant (53 venice Biennale). Her exhibition around Europe include: Gallery Claire Corsia, Paris, Pop-up Space, Southbank, London A+A Gallery, Venice; Art065 Gallery, Pesaro, MAMA Gallery, Bologna; C.A.M Gallery, Istanbul; Galerja Mazchek, Croatia; Recent exhibition in London 2015 Hoxton Arches,Shoreditch,London Espacio Gallery ,September Iklektic space,Waterloo,October Open Studio,Wimbledonartstudios,November 2016 Openstudios ,Wimbledonartstudios,April Buckingham Palace,Westminister,June
'My work balances between painting, collage ,words, and installation.My art is introspective and intimate. My daily life is my inspiration.Using materials that capture an unexpected moment or story I allow those narratives to reflect memories and experience, making visible emotions and thoughts and this transmit the idea of the work to be honest, even painfully so, coming from my desire to be true to my,strengths and insecurities .Time and connections are the main aspects of my art research ,the magic,the unexpected ,the everything which is in between but not visible, the untold word that resonates in the space'.
For Hand Maid, Laura will be exhibiting the piece 'Blue Shikan'.
Laura Heath
Laura Heath began her career as a forensic scientist, gaining competence in photographing evidential material from crime scenes. Having lectured in forensic science for ten years Laura left academia to set up an artists' studio on the Wirral on the sands of the River Dee. Having studied HNC photography part time, gaining Distinctions throughout, Laura now teaches photography basics and art courses from her unique studio which was runner up in the Liverpool City Region, Small Visitor Attraction category of the Tourism Awards 2015. She devises, writes, and photographs a monthly 'coastal craft' feature for Coast Magazine.
'In my 'Perfectly Natural' series I explore the female form veiled with 'typically feminine' objects. Self Portraits taken in a mirror, layered negatives, and physical objects casting their shadow on the paper produce combination photograph/photograms in the darkroom. Exposed breast images are censored in the media, on social networking sites, and in real life... with the exception of those designated as 'art'. I aimed to make my bare breasts more socially acceptable by the addition of objects society considers to represent womanhood and fertility - feathers, seed heads, fabrics, and circles'.
For Hand Maid, Laura will be exhibiting the piece 'Perfectly Natural 1'.
Laura New
Laura New studied at both Central Saint Martins and Middlesex University. Since obtaining her degree in 2003 she has continued on to produce various series of work particularly focussing on her signature style of using pencil, chalk and ink on raw wood panel. She exhibits often and has had a number of solo shows as well as being part of collaborative group shows over the last 10 years. Laura also works in both illustration and artistic direction in the music industry.
'Amidst various illustration projects my current work revolves around the idea of the artists muse. In particular I am embarking on a series of drawing called ‘Eyes Closed’ in a combination of pencil, chalk and ink on wood panel'.
For Hand Maid, Laura will be exhibiting the piece 'Eyes Closed - Corrina'.
Laura Wilson
Laura Wilson studied Illustration at Cardiff School of Art and Design, graduating in 2014. Since then she has remained living in Cardiff and works freelance, creating art that combines fashion illustration with themes of gender, body positivity and inclusivity.
'Women and cats will do as they please' - R.A. Heinlein. My work celebrates the lazy luxury of a Sunday afternoon and the particular independent spirit of women and cats. Modern femininity is a recurring theme in my artwork, and this piece focuses specifically on being apologetically comfortable in one's own body.
For Hand Maid, Laura will be exhibiting the piece 'Women and Cats'.
Lee Pyefinch
Lee Joined the army at 17 and served for 8 years in 1 Para. After leaving the military he worked through out the Middle East as a security consultant. A change of path beckoned so having always taken pictures since an early age, Lee decided to study photography at LCC in 2012 and begun a journey exploring his new route. Lee is drawn to the ideas of gender and identity, consumerism, symbolism, and the human impact on the ball of rock we call home.
'My work is in its early stages, it has begun with photography but I feel I am about to expand past that'.
For Hand Maid, Lee will be exhibiting the piece 'Big Decisions'.
Livi Mills
Livi Mills graduated with a First Class BA Hons in Fine Art from the University of Leeds. She is now studying for a Masters in Visual Arts: Printmaking at Camberwell College of Arts, UAL. She recently completed a three month print fellowship at Northampton University.
'My practice explores different categorizations of space and ways to represent or construct a visual language with which to signify these spaces, predominantly through the printed medium. Often it is not the representations themselves but the gap between the 'space' and representation of that space that is highlighted by the work'.
For Hand Maid, Livi will be exhibiting the piece 'Objects of Femininity (Heart)'.
Maggie Williams
Maggie Williams (b.1989) is a British artist currently living and working in London. Since graduating in 2011, Williams has both organised and exhibited in numerous shows in London and further afield.
'My most recent work intends to challenge the perception of Mr and Ms Olympia; an annual international bodybuilding competition. Fascinated with the extreme exhibition of masculinity, I intend to create a dialogue of antithesis and symbiosis in the portrayal of these male and almost unidentifiable female champions through the effeminate art of embroidery. The victors are emasculated as their final poses are transformed from a Herculean moment to a delicate cross-stitch, whilst the depiction of taut, bulging muscles brings about a new sensibility and contemporary twist to needlework'.
For Hand Maid, Maggie will be exhibiting the piece 'Iris Kyle'.
Maria Thatcher
Maria has found art passionately again after losing my mother in 2013, Art became once again Maria's solace, Maria's strength and most of all her gateway in expressing her impression of women in all forms of captured moments. Maria has enjoyed exhibiting regularly in London and in some of her work uses satirical humour. Maria hopes to keep learning g...developing and advancing her ideas.
'I have loved art for as long as I can remember. I particularly specialise in the woman and the emotional situation. Capturing culture, defiance, strength and emotion. I have enjoyed exhibiting in London several times. I have received favourable feedback on my particular style. I have work commissions in the USA too. I use 3d elements to capture the soul of the subject bringing a sense of real time to the image. I hope you enjoy my art as much as I did creating it. Thank you for taking the time to look'.
For Hand Maid, Maria will be exhibiting the piece 'Elizabeth the 1st meets Cate Blanchett who is a terminator'.
Marie Kårsjö
Swedish-born, now London-based, Marie Kårsjö has a degree in Horticulture and works as a gardener. She have also studied photography and ceramics. Her main media are photography and collage. In Sweden she has been part of photo exhibitions, and published her collages in a literature magazine.
'Art for me is a way of telling stories. I get inspiration from the society, the city, dreams and nature. I’m interested in landscapes in different shapes, within a person as well as the outer physical landscape. For my collages I use photos from old National Geographic magazines and newer magazines. I find it interesting to blend these together, play with reality and create my own version. My photos are often abstract or based in everyday life, capturing a stillness or traces, from the present or the past'.
For Hand Maid, Marie will be exhibiting the piece 'Hair, Nature'.
Maureen Jordan
I have practiced since 2009, exhibiting and creating site-specific work and completing an MA in Fine Art. I previously worked as an arts administrator, producer and funder, working with and supporting many artists over the years. My work is deeply rooted in cultural identity and place. It is not about Northern Ireland, where I was born, but is of it. As expressed by the poet, Seamus Heaney “The early life-experience has been central …like putting your hand into a nest and finding something hatching out in your head.” My work embraces darkness, light, and poetry.
'I mostly use found objects and materials which I like because they retain the scars of time, of use and abuse. I sometimes contrast these with materials traditionally held to have a greater value, such as stained glass or silver, to contrast what we value with what we discard. In the piece “Stains”, for example, the ironwork of the bedframe jars against the coloured glass and its ability to transmit light: a fusion of the sacred and the profane, the light and the dark. Female experience is at the heart of the work'.
For Hand Maid, Maureen will be exhibiting the piece 'Home Sweet Home'.
Mia Hawk
Mia is a self taught artist. For the past 4 years she has been living full time as an artist. Alongside creating original art works and illustrations, she also designs her own line of illustrated clothing. In the last year she has also started making a living being a portrait photographer.
'I like to create works that inspire wonder and curiosity. I think the characters in my paintings as being a little window into a little dream land, almost like characters in a subconscious Brothers Grim fairytale. I love to use colours to create atmosphere and mood, often using stronger or untraditional colours in skin tones, hair or fur. I play around with elements of realism, but all my paintings have elements that breaks their placement in reality'.
For Hand Maid, Mia will be exhibiting the piece 'One is not amused'.
Mia Wilkinson
Mia Wilkinson is a London based artist, whose oil paintings are visceral explorations of certain sexualized female forms. The sensual indulgence with which she approaches the paint is reflective of her subject; female body builders and squashers wrestle on the canvas in an orgy of drips and loaded excess paint. The humorous and light hearted intention with which she approaches her work is not lost, as complex issues of sex and gender are confronted by her brush. Mia Wilkinson studied at Wimbledon College of Art and has been involved heavily with showing through Espacio gallery.
'My paintings have their own loopy language; the figures are described with intense immediacy, whilst still embracing the particularities of the female flesh. Unapologetic and intense, but not victim to the expected angst ridden expressionism, rather comedic as the figures are exposed as bizarre avatars. Confined within unsettling narratives witty statement about the way identity is performed in a media culture'.
For Hand Maid, Mia will be exhibiting the piece 'HY-PERCH-TROPHY'.
Michael Walls
Walls is interested in the vast array of commercial paints on offer, how each individual colour is numbered, titled, categorised. Walls combines the notion of the exhibition being specifically attended to depict the persona/ characteristics of a woman. Starting by the artist using colours with woman's names, then the photograph of the anatomy of the physical paint pot representing the person's body. The vast array of the woman's DNA on the cork board taken from the colours extracts. Then the painting itself merges the codes of the DNA, body together with the gestural application of domestic decoration.
'I create work ranging from the documentary to the conceptual, using a vast amount of mediums to portray a spectrum of different mundane issues. The Birth of Dulux is an ongoing major painting project which focuses on painting as a conceptual medium, merging curation, application, concept or the surface to delve into the possibilities of painting. The concept that surrounds the project focuses on commercial colour, the sort of colours found in domestic colour swatches, the wider public coming to a decision to decided what colour to paint the walls, merging the formalised blocks to a gestural colour field aesthetic'.
For Hand Maid, Michael will be exhibiting the piece 'The Birth of Jade Cluster'.
MinjuKim
MinjuKim is currently studying MA Visual Arts: Illustration at Camberwell College of Arts in London. Also, She studied BA(Hons) Creative Direction for Fashion at London college of Fashion in London between 2013 and 2014, and graduated BFA in Printmaking, College of Fine Art at Hongik University ,Seoul, South Korea in 2013.
'Since I was young I have been fascinated by human sexuality and gender. In particular the female figure as the subject matter is a recurring theme in my work and it’s related to my exploration of life and death. In my work, it is mainly based on the female body with the circle of human life in mind. While thinking about the circle of life, from birth to death, similar to the Mobius Strip, I felt that the place where the circle begins is the female body. To me it seems as if the female body has infinite time and space. Thus, the entire concept of my work started and has been developed with desire, especially ‘Libido’'.
For Hand Maid, MinjuKim will be exhibiting the piece 'Body is a sublime gift'.
Monica Ballesta
Spanish artist living and working in London. Graduated in Fine Arts from The University of Barcelona in 2000, I have been working in costume design for cinema and theater for more than ten years. Now I combine my art practice with my job as an art teacher.
'Art to me is a necessity The perfect way to explore and analyze my inner feelings and the world around me. Using beautiful, yet disturbing, images that I intend to send straight to the heart, I try to communicate my reflections about being human. I use mixed media: either found images or my own photographies over which I paint to emphasise or change their meaning, often looking like old, unfinished pictures. Art is the way I have found to put my mind at ease by communicating with the world, hoping somebody out there will appreciate and emphathise with whatever I am trying to express. Art is my message in a bottle'.
For Hand Maid, Monica will be exhibiting the piece 'Phantom Baby'.
Nadia Nervo
Nadia Nervo is a London-based artist using photography, film, and performance. She received a Masters in Art Communication & Design from the Royal College of Art (2003).
'My work focuses on collaboration, exploring the nature of the relationship between photographer and subject alongside observer and viewer. The themes that are central to my work include gender, identity, femininity, beauty, and movement. My work is primarily analogue'.
For Hand Maid, Nadia will be exhibiting the piece 'Sian'.
Najiba Kitai
Najiba Kitai lives and works in London, Uk. Studied at Bezalel- academy of art and design in Jerusalem. She combines her artistic practice with her work as an art therapist.
'I am a multimedia artist, working in a range of mediums including video, sculpture, installation and traditional craft techniques. The main theme of my work is the experience of shifting and adjusting to different cultures. Through my works I examine and deconstruct the aesthetics and physicality of my surroundings. The aesthetics of my work derives from the immigrant’s sense of urgency towards creating a new domestic environment, a safe base on alien ground. In the emergent environment, the objects extend beyond their ornamental function and serve as totems that provide “magical” protection from one’s unfamiliar surroundings'.
For Hand Maid, NajiBa will be exhibiting the piece 'Charity 2'.
Pacale Pressicaud
Pascale Pressicaud studied Fine Art at City and Guild of London Art School and holds a Master's degree in Sociology from Goldsmiths, University of London. She divides her time between London and Bordeaux in France when she is not exploring humanscapes across America.
'Superfluid(ity) is a state of matter in which the matter behaves like a fluid with zero viscosity; where it appears to exhibit the ability to self-propel and travel in a way that defies the forces of gravity and surface tension. Superfluid(ity) is found in astrophysics, high-energy physics, and theories of quantum gravity. The phenomenon is related to Bose–Einstein condensation, but neither is a specific type of the other: not all Bose-Einstein condensates can be regarded as superfluids, and not all superfluids are Bose–Einstein condensates. (Wikipedia). Superfluid, to me, is the organic matter which debunks / exposes how all social constructs can be deceptive, that of gender in particular, as it gets dissolved in the fluid ability to permeate the human reproduction life cycle eternally and with no due order'.
For Hand Maid, Pascale will be exhibiting the piece 'Superfluid: Free Download'.
Peter D'Alessandri
BA Fine Art, Norwich School of Art, 1985. Selected exhibitions: 2015: “Kiss Me Quick”, Estuary Fringe; “New Artist Fair Summer Exhibition”, Brick Lane; “Figure & Portrait”, BAR Gallery, London; “Punch” Sweet ‘Arts Summer Arts Festival; “Estuary Fringe Festival”; “Pure Painting” exhibition, B.A.R. gallery; 2014: “Guilty Pleasures”, Juno; “Introducing the Project Space Artists”, Project Space, Vyner Street; “Guest Artist, Cultivate Evolved, Vyner St; Stomach#2, Hoxton Arches; “Open Wall” Exhibition at Façade – London Wall; Finalist ArtGemini Prize, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London; 2013: 55th Essex Open; 2011: 53rd Essex Open. 2010: Cork Street Open; 52nd Essex Open, Frank Todman Award for best portrait.
'Born 1963, studied for BA at Norwich School of Art, tried a life in the 'real world' for twenty odd years, and didn't much care for it. My current work is based on observation of the human figure'.
For Hand Maid, Peter will be exhibiting the piece 'Maxine - The Three Graces'.
Rachel McArthur
Rachael McArthur is a photo-based artist from Toronto and a recent graduate from Ontario College of Art and Design University. She has graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography with a minor in Printmaking. Her work has been exhibited in Toronto,Paris and England. Rachael has also attended Paris College of Art in France and has worked in the Folio Club in Barcelona. Her work centers around the themes of character creations, photo based sculptures and tableaux photography. Her most recent work explored a narrative of modern family secrets influences by images of the domestic social life of the Victorian era through her photo sculptures.
'My work is revolving around the theme of beauty and women. In this new series I am exploring the modern ways women use beauty products. There is a long history of interesting and different products and procedures that women have taken to achieve the standard beauty. I have build the backgrounds and created different scene to reflect the characters of each woman I have photographed'.
For Hand Maid, Rachel will be exhibiting the piece 'Illumask'.
Rebecka Skog
Rebecka Skog is a spanish illustrator born in Sweden and currently living in London. Bachelor of Fine Arts in the University of La Laguna ( Tenerife ) Master of photography ( Academia di Brera, Milán) and Fashion Design ( IED Madrid ) Has participed in several exhibitions, individual and collectives in Canary Islands , Barcelona, Madrid, Vienna and Stockholm. Participed in differents festival showing her artworks as Rototom Festival ( Benicassim ) Tenerife Design Festival, Matadero Madrid, Pechakucha ( Las Palmas ) , and published in cultural and fashion magazines and Editorials, as El País, El Diario de Avisos, Fama, Vogue España, Elle España, Elsevier. She works in differents media : digital, watercolor and ink.
'My works are made in INK with the sizes 21 x 29 cm. The influencie of this serie is inspired by these months living in London, the loneliness, the big change : other cultures, the language, the city, the nature and the darkness'.
For Hand Maid, Rebecka will be exhibiting the piece 'Let Down'.
Richard Morgan
Richard Morgan is an academic, photographer, and writer working on the ambivalence of human experience, interplay, and challenges to authority. In 2015 he completed a PhD at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies, University College London. He currently teaches courses on Interdisciplinarity and Qualitative Thinking at The Arts and Sciences Department at University College London. Richard works between London – where he is now based – and places where he travels, including China, Russia, and the USA.
'My work explores the role of fragmentation, flux, and discontinuity in our conceptions of identity and sense of selfhood. I am interested in playing with frameworks – national, intellectual, cultural – and, through this interplay, bringing about transformations in the way we engage with the world around us. In this way, my work rethinks forms of authority, and challenges power through its critique of centres and its emphasis on peripheries.
For Hand Maid, Richard will be exhibiting the piece 'Genesis'.
Romily Alice
Romily Alice is a multi-disciplinary fine artist from London, currently living in Leeds where she has her neon studio. Romily’s work explores feminism, the post-internet age and the inevitable disillusionment of adulthood. Romily is also a founding member and editor of Paint By Number magazine, the first issue of which is due for print release in February 2016.
'I make work about being a human and how strange that is. I think a lot about growing up and what in the hell that means. My work explores feminism, the post-internet age and the inevitable disillusionment of adulthood. I like to start from somewhere personal and move outward from there in the hopes of making work that hasn’t drunk its own Kool-Aid. Craftsmanship is important to me; if I want to make something I’ll learn how; so all my work is made with my own two hands unless otherwise credited. My material choices are determined by my ideas but I’m a sucker for neon, textiles and gifs'.
For Hand Maid, Romily will be exhibiting the piece 'Girl Gang'.
Rosemary Deprés
Rosemary Després is an artist and photographer, currently studying for a BA (Hons) in Fine Arts at the Bath Spa School of Art and Design. She was born in 1997, in the Channel Island of Guernsey. Some of her recent exhibitions include the ‘Faces and Figures’ exhibition, Greenhouse Gallery, Guernsey, and the Smethwick International’s 40th Photography Competition’s Projected Image Show.
'I delight in working in a variety of mediums; sculpture, ceramic, embroidery, painting, photography and drawing, as experimentation is key to my work. A running theme throughout my work is my adoration of ornithology - the scientific study of birds; I work extensively with wildlife and conservation concerns, such as the issue of pollution on seabird populations. Most of my sculptures are depicted in a state of equilibrium with nature, where they are idealised, allowing nothing but beauty to be witnessed by the viewer. Posing the inevitable question, are we just going to stand back and watch them be destroyed?'.
For Hand Maid, Rosemary will be exhibiting the piece 'Identity'.
Rosemary Meza-DesPlas
Rosemary Meza-DesPlas is a Mexican-American artist from Dallas, TX. She works in hand-sewn human hair, watercolor and drawing installations. She received her MFA in Painting from the Maryland Institute College of Art and a BFA from UNT. Rosemary Meza-DesPlas has exhibited extensively: Yorck Studios, Berlin,Germany; Red Head Gallery, Toronto, Canada; Espace Kiron in Paris, France; A.I.R. Gallery, NYC, NY; Mexic-Arte Museum, Austin, TX; and ARC Gallery, Chicago, IL. Rosemary Meza-DesPlas writes about art and presents papers at conferences: International Conference on the Image, Freie Universitat Berlin, Berlin, Germany and Mod Art’13 on Beauty & Ugliness, Modern Art Conference in Istanbul, Turkey.
'As people, we spend a lifetime being processed through doors; the doors can be political, societal or personal. In cases where one makes a conscious selection of the door, that choice can solidify your identity or challenge preconceived notions of the self. Contemporary feminists experience an anxiety of the threshold. Women falter in this paradigm of feminism: they turn a complacent eye to the feminists’ triumphs of the past and hesitate to act or engage in coextensive socio-cultural challenges of the 21st century. We must remain vigilant at the door to protect hard-won privileges and freedoms and, yet –-- rush the door with rampant urgency to pursue new perspectives and embrace surprising outcomes'.
For Hand Maid, Rosemary will be exhibiting the piece 'Emmeline Pankhurst'.
Rosie Beard
Rosie studied at the London College of Fashion where she was spotted by renowned milliner Piers Atkinson and worked as his studio manager, buyer and head designer, creating embroidery for clients such as Lady Gaga, Zandra Rhodes, Anna Dello Russo and many more. After 4 creative years Rosie decided to go solo. During this time she has worked on private and client art commissions: Glamour, Grazia, Lee jeans, Alternative miss world, The globe theatre and her own art exhibitions. She has passionately promoted female equality, given time and creations to the FGM charity 'Daughters of Eve" creating a bed spread that was used in 2014 at an exhibition at WOW Festival and V&A.
'As people, we spend a lifetime being processed through doors; the doors can be political, societal or personal. In cases where one makes a conscious selection of the door, that choice can solidify your identity or challenge preconceived notions of the self. Contemporary feminists experience an anxiety of the threshold. Women falter in this paradigm of feminism: they turn a complacent eye to the feminists’ triumphs of the past and hesitate to act or engage in coextensive socio-cultural challenges of the 21st century. We must remain vigilant at the door to protect hard-won privileges and freedoms and, yet –-- rush the door with rampant urgency to pursue new perspectives and embrace surprising outcomes'.
For Hand Maid, Rosie will be exhibiting the piece 'Girls'.
Rosso
Rosso is primarily a self-taught painter, with an academic background in politics, international communications and human rights.
"My paintings are metaphorical representations of contemporary society and the human condition in general, inspired by a combination of personal happenings, dreams and fantasies, daily encounters and surroundings, and the current state of international affairs. Most of them are populated with authentic yet enigmatic, sometimes ironical characters with distinct personalities, resonating with feelings, fears, themes and taboos commonly experienced."
For Hand Maid, Ross will be exhibiting the piece 'Oxytocin'.
Saffron Reichenbäcker
Saffron Reichenbäcker is a Brighton based Artist inspired by a dream world of silver screen vamps and Weimar Berlin ghosts. She loves cats, aerial circus and damn fine coffee.
'I work primarily with ink sketches, which are then scanned and developed digitally. Using strong lines and bold colours, my pieces commonly take the form of imagined portraits. In these, I create a mood that brings to life my dark dream vision of the 1920s'.
For Hand Maid, Saffron will be exhibiting the piece 'An improbable blend of grace and depravity'.
Sally Gethin
Sally Gethin is a self-taught photographer and artist. She travels and writes for a living. Her photographs have been exhibited in Victoria and Westminster, London, on outdoor and indoor displays in public designated art spaces.
'My work is random. I draw inspiration from colour, season, attitude and wit in the human and natural form. I appreciate the diversity and individuality of women. In these works I have chosen, I have sought the uniqueness of the female spirit'.
For Hand Maid, Sally will be exhibiting the piece 'Amalfi Bride'.
Sally Hewett
Sally Hewett graduated from the Kent Institute of Art and Design with a BA(Hons) in Fine Art in 2003. She started working with fabrics and embroidery during the second stage of her degree. As well as a variety of natural and man-made Fabrics and materials, she uses human hair in some of her pieces. Her dissertation was an investigation into the use of body detritus in art. Her work has been exhibited in the UK, the USA and Italy and has been bought for private and public collections in Europe, the UK and USA.
'I love bodies. It is not conventionally beautiful bodies that take my eye, it is bodies which show their history, that have been altered by their experiences, that are decorated with bruises, scars, spots, stretch-marks, veins - bodies that have the marks of life on them. But also bodies which have been deliberately altered and decorated - by man rather than by life – tattoos, plastic surgery etc. I am interested in how we see things, how we interpret what we see. Why are some bodies considered beautiful, and others ugly? Does using materials and techniques traditionally associated with prettiness and gentility change how the work is seen?'.
For Hand Maid, Sally will be exhibiting the piece 'Possible Side Effects', 'Thin Skinned' and 'Ectomy'.
Sal Jones
Sal Jones has a BA Hons degree in Fine Art and lives and works in London. Her work is generally figurative; utilising photographs and found images as starting points; transforming them to alter interpretation, producing emotionally charged works. Recent work has been inspired by images appropriated from film, photography and the media, and exploits the conventions of cinematography; heavy cropping, close-ups, angled shots, saturated colours, as well as the use of dialogue for titles. She has exhibited extensively in London as well as in group and open exhibitions elsewhere in the UK.
'I am interested in developing ideas around fiction and reality and shifting contexts, how we interpret and relate to images as spectators and how they affect us. Current work examines emotion and perception through fictitious characters and de-contextualised dialogue. Although my image source is usually a photograph I am not trying to create a photo-realist work in any way but rather a re-interpretation of that photo as a painting. I am interested in exploring what happens to the image through the process of applying the paint'.
For Hand Maid, Sal will be exhibiting the piece 'The Truth, The Whole Truth, Nothing But The Truth (triptych)'.
Sara Hindhaugh
Sara Hindhaugh was born in the Solomon Islands and spent her formative years there and in Hong Kong. She currently works at AWOL studios in Manchester and has worked as a creative consultant for children and young people with Autistic Spectrum Conditions. Education: BA Fine Art (Painting) – Wimbledon School of Art (1987) Diploma in Foundation Studies – Wimbledon School of Art (1984)
'My work is a direct response to my own existential loss - be that simply freefalling through life, always out of place or time, or learning to live with tangible grief. I use elements of my past as subject matter, such as family photographs, memories, events both real and imagined, myths and objects, like the Tiny Tears doll - who often doubles as my ‘alter ego’. These elements are copied or broken down or all placed together (sometimes with ‘teary’ puns) in my attempt to create a new, ‘timeless present'.
For Hand Maid, Sara will be exhibiting the piece 'Falling Tears'.
Sarah Hill
Sarah Hill studied at Wimbledon College of Art, London graduating in 2009, and is currently embarking on a Masters degree in Fine Art at Chelsea College of Arts in London.
'Drawing and collage are central to my practice, and my work is based around personal experiences, imagination and memories. The drawings focus on self-generating forms, space, and intricately drawn textures that are spontaneous, but also well considered. I am inspired by contemporary drawing, cellular biological forms, machinery and doodles'.
For Hand Maid, Sara will be exhibiting the piece 'Brown Body'.
Naomi Chassé
Born in Singapore Naomi Chassé is a Swiss-Tibetan video artist and gallerina, living and working in London. Naomi received her BFA in Photography & Imaging from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in 2013.
Naomi's work focuses on identity, femininity and sexuality. Using costumes and wigs to inhabit various characters both universal and personal to deliberate her own being versus the roles of females past and present.
For Hand Maid, Naomi will be screening her film "After Morimura"
Seema Mattu
Seema Mattu currently studies at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, completing her third and final year in BA Fine Art. She will graduate in June 2016.
'My practice presents a self-awareness of the ethnic self in a digital space. This othered self, is comprised of four key components of minority: race, gender, caste and sexuality. As I deal with illicit subjects in terms of the ethnic woman, I am developing a way of coding - where the hiding of things actually means the revealing of it. I am yet to find an ethnic someone like me, see a television character I identify with completely, encounter a like-minded person in the wake of such core taboo subjects. So for now, I am my own role model'.
For Hand Maid, Seema will be exhibiting the pieces, 'Afghan Girl Revisited I' and 'Afghan Girl Revisited II'.
Shannon Lane
Shannon Lane is an independent artist, writer and curator from the UK. She has organised four London - based art and music events, and is an ambassador for Papyrus (Young Suicide Prevention).
'My work surrounds the nature of the sexualisation of women, and also opposes the current art movement of beautifying vaginas through discreet imagery, by creating true visuals'.
For Hand Maid, Seana will be exhibiting the piece 'Aphrodisiac'.
Shirani Bolle
Shirani Bolle is a self taught multi media artist from London. Her work as a painter led her to street art and more recently 3D sculpture, animation and soundscape. Her background as a second generation Holocaust survivor growing up in the suburbs of London has greatly shaped her artwork. Her work is personal, political and confrontational but never without a touch of humour.
'My artwork takes a critical view of social and political issues and how they impact on the individual. I am interested in the stories we are told by the media, celebrity and history and I explore how these impact us on an emotional level. My work concentrates on changing narratives and how in doing so in tiny ways one can potentially impact the world'.
For Hand Maid, Shirani will be exhibiting the piece 'Don't Run'.
Sinéad Loftus
Sinéad Loftus (b.1990) is a London(UK) born and based sculptor and materials enthusiast. Sinéad recently graduated (2015) from MA Fine Art at Central Saint Martins, where she specialized in sculpture. Having seen her graduation exhibition, ArtLyst listed Sinéad as one to watch. Sinéad Loftus is now working on a new collection of sculptures that take natural forms into a new perspective.
'Sculpture lies at the very centre of my practice, both practically and as an area of research. My primary concern is sculpture as a mapping of a space, and an invitation to interact with viewers, and them to each other; sculpture is conversational and sociable. Juxtaposition of tone, comfort, temperature, strength and colouration are all grammatical when reading sculpture, without the connotations of materials and organic forms; be it soft pink faux fur or glittering leather, lumpen forms. Each material reads out its own anthology, as sculpture becomes several conversations'.
For Hand Maid, Sinéad will be exhibiting the pieces, 'Straight to my heart', 'It was meant to be' and 'You'll find me'.
Stephanie K Kane
Stephanie Kane is an award winning artist who is based in South London. She has recently exhibited and produced live art work in the TATE Britain with art collective PUSHCRAYONS. Her portraits are often of friends though hold an autobiographical element which is experimented with and expanded upon.
'I'm continually working away creating in response to things people have said to me that are funny or insulting or just strange things I hear. Things like, 'Your hair looks like Darth Vaders helmet' or 'Do you know what comes up when you Google your name?'.
For Hand Maid, Stephanie will be exhibiting the piece 'Stephanie is a female artist'.
Susan Fletcher
Susan Fletcher started her creative journey in the Fashion industry. She worked with Joe Casely-Hayford and went on to run her own fashion design business, Fletcher Joyce, with clients such as The Rolling Stones and George Michael. She was a national finalist for sculpture at the 2013 Signature Art Prize London and had her first solo show at the Brewery Tap, Folkestone in 2014. In 2015 she was commissioned by the Griffin Gallery to make an installation for the Crypt Gallery in London whilst completing an eight month residency at UCA. Fletcher has recently exhibited with Alain Urrutia at the Herbert Read Gallery.
'Exploring collective fears and anxieties, which are often hidden and seldom communicated between women, my work questions our attitude towards our own female fragility. It explores what we conceal and what emerges or unfolds from acts of alteration, violence and interference. I cast viscous red wax and combine with ‘lost and found’ objects that bear the scars of time, a sense of intimacy is created as I construct new narratives by combining the ‘salvaged’ with the hand-crafted. Split between the repairer and the destroyer, layers of symbolism develop the syntax of the work and cultivate private conversations'.
For Hand Maid, Susan will be exhibiting the piece 'The New Normality'.
Susan Purser Hope
Susan Purser Hope ran her Midlands based interior design consultancy for many years until returning to Wolverhampton University in 2005 to learn about glass making. She has now moved to North Norfolk to fulfil a lifetime ambition of living by the sea.
'I work with fused glass – a 2-dimensional material that I continually try and stretch into 3-dimensions. Glass is a material of contrasts – strong but delicate, opaque and transparent, rigid and fluid'.
For Hand Maid, Susan will be exhibiting the piece 'Pregnant Pause - 9 months (part of a triptych)'.
Tallulah Lines
Tallulah Lines is a Newcastle based artist who has lived, worked, exhibited and muralled in the UK, Spain and Latin America. Although the mostly self taught she studied etching at the Escuela de Arte, Sevilla. Her work mixes realism and magic with quirky imagery, bright colours and bold lines.
'These paintings are part of a series exploring moments of strength and moments of vulnerability. The portraits show close female friends of mine of various nationalities, backgrounds and ages'.
For Hand Maid, Tallulah will be exhibiting the piece 'Sinead'.
Trystan Williams
Trystan Williams is a London based artist who completed a BA in Fine Art Painting at Camberwell College of Arts in 2006 and is currently studying for an MA in Fine Art Digital at the same institution. His work has been shortlisted for various prizes including the Lumen Prize, Art Lacuna Prize and currently the Aspen Online Art Award. He also had a piece of work included in the National Open Art Winter exhibition at the RCA.
'My work uses fragments of text taken from the internet that I laser engrave onto pieces of stone or other found ephemera. The text I use won't come up on an internet search and is to all intents and purposes "lost", apart from the engraved physical object. I'm interested in the ways in which degrees of anonymity and the release from collective judgement that can engender affects the ways in which people communicate with each other. I'd consider my work to be about the creation of contemporary ostraca or 'artefacts' of the now'.
For Hand Maid, Trystan will be exhibiting the piece 'Romance'.
Tuba Gültekin
Gültekin was born in 1980. She graduated from Dokuz Eylul University-TURKEY, Faculty of Education,department of Fine Art Education.She received the degree of Master's and Ph.D. from Konya Selcuk University.Presently She is an Associate Professor in Dokuz Eylul University.
Gültekin is working on art education, artistic sensitivity, cultural diplomacy, Art activities in social education.
For Hand Maid, Tuba will be exhibiting the piece 'Rising'.
Water Kerner
Prominent Visual Artist in Los Angeles, raised in New York, recognized for her talent since childhood, MICA alumni, Skowhegan Scholarship recipient, successful creative entrepreneur (Latitude Inc. Directorial & Design Animation Company), lifetime extensive list of awards & recognition in the creative field. Utilizes the magic of light, motion and/or sound in her Sculptures and Installation art. Info about her original artwork, recent exhibits, reviews, Gallery or Museum shows, please visit waterkerner.com.
'As a young artist growing up in New York, I was surrounded by acres of lush woods. Our mailbox was marked RFD #2 for “Rural Free Delivery”. When I left home at 18, I had no idea I would only live in huge cities surrounded by glass & concrete walls reverberating man-made noises. After a long and successful artistic career, I find it absolutely captivating my body and soul are still magnetized by the beautiful outdoors. Nature will always be the origin of my awe and my greatest mentor of originality. I believe the more virtual our lives become, the more we crave physical interactive art which engages our senses and connects us to ourselves, our feelings and others'.
For Hand Maid, Water will be exhibiting the piece 'HERSTORY: For Women who Bloom despite the Injustice and lack of Nourishment'.
Yechezkel Mandelbaum
Thomas Ambuehl aka Yechezkel Mandelbaum *1974 in Switzerland is a performer and composer of classical music, painter and sculptor working in a variety of styles from figurative surrealist, to cubism and abstract neo-expressionism, depending on what he finds best to express a specific artistic idea. Ambuehl holds a BA Hons in Arts (first degree) from Oxford Brookes University and is currently doing a Master in Opera studies, alongside with his rabbinical training at Lady Montefiore Semicha programme in London. Having lived and worked as an artist in many places and countries such as Switzerland, Germany, and Israel, he lives at the moment together with his wife Antonietta and their five children in Oxford UK.
'Life to me is an odyssey, to find myself in the others that we encounter along the way. In my artwork I try to capture my impressions of these encounters. In music, painting, and occasionally sculpture I wish to express these inner resonances of people, life, places and societies around me, to communicate their ideas, values, fears, hopes, and fantasies - that have become my own too. Sometimes, I am able to counterbalance feelings of repression by the society that surrounds me and the high moral expectations in myself as a rabbi, especially with regards to gender and sexuality. I never intend to shock or provoke, but always seek for an open, respectful, and honest dialogue with the ones who engage with my artwork'.
For Hand Maid, Yechezkel will be exhibiting the piece 'The Girl with the Pearl Earring'.
Zarifi
Emma Zarifi is from the North East Newcastle, she studied a Creative Advertising degree and decided it wasn't for her, she then took on a course in photography and decided during the time of the course she decided to quit studying and move to London to further her opportunities and herself, ever since its been a positive experience.
'My work is based on my own personal journey and people i meet throughout the journey. The work is theatrical, playful, and colourful, and some is left to the own viewer imagination'.
For Hand Maid, Zarifi will be exhibiting the piece 'Zarifi Railway Working'.
Zaza
Zeinab Hashemi, born 1984, studied Painting at Alzahra university in Terhan. couple of solo exhibition in Tehran and London. Now I live in London and I have a studio in Peckam.
'This project started at 2011, as I was engaged with my grandfather’s death. I began to search in our family album and of other people. I think fetching out forgotten pictures of forgotten people is like to investigate my own history. This project consists of some paintings on canvas (small size) and some drawings on cardboard (medium size). The Death project is not yet finished for me and I am studying more techniques and seeking more old pictures of dead people from different archives. It is required to be mentioned that this project has been never exhibited'.
For Hand Maid, Zaza will be exhibiting the piece 'Death of Women'.