My current research interests revolve around the aesthetics and symbolism of the medical museum; using its collections, taxonomies, and histories as metaphors for a contemporary subjective experience of the body, in life and death. My history as a mixed-race, post-colonial child informs a practice exploring interstices: between science and religion, the normal and the pathological, the familiar and the uncanny. These themes are visualised through mixed-media processes which include drawing, assemblage, and installation. Recent work combines historical and contemporary anatomical imagery with maps and literature to create layers of image and meaning, evoking new considerations of anatomical collections and their role in creative responses to the body. This mapping process – anatomical, geographical and conceptual - forms part of a metaphorical locating of the 'self': the medicalised or pathological self becoming a metaphor for the 'stateless' self that is brought into question by relocation from one country or state to another.
My current research interests revolve around the aesthetics and symbolism of the medical museum; using its collections, taxonomies, and histories as metaphors for a contemporary subjective experience of the body, in life and death. My history as a mixed-race, post-colonial child informs a practice exploring interstices: between science and religion, the normal and the pathological, the familiar and the uncanny. These themes are visualised through mixed-media processes which include drawing, assemblage, and installation. Recent work combines historical and contemporary anatomical imagery with maps and literature to create layers of image and meaning, evoking new considerations of anatomical collections and their role in creative responses to the body. This mapping process – anatomical, geographical and conceptual - forms part of a metaphorical locating of the 'self': the medicalised or pathological self becoming a metaphor for the 'stateless' self that is brought into question by relocation from one country or state to another.
My studio work is enabled by and intersected within a community engagement and public arts practice, making artwork for institutions as varied as schools, hospitals, libraries, and public conveniences. I have taught art at secondary school, FE, and HE levels, and regularly disseminate my visual research at conferences and seminars in the UK and Europe.
Qualifications and training
Solo/collaborative exhibitions
2017
“Mapping the Remains” retrospective. Benham Gallery, Colchester, Essex.
“Anatomical Curiosities” Optic Gallery, Corvallis, USA
2016
“Excavations” Gallery 5, Ipswich Art School Gallery, Ipswich, Suffolk.
2013
“An Order of Things” (selected works) Department of History, University of Liverpool.
2011
“Interstice/Confluence” (with Anne Barclay) Benham Gallery, Colchester, Essex.
2010
“An Order of Things” Installation. Minories Gallery, Colchester, Essex.
2009
“The Double-Skinned Shed” Installation. St. Martins' Church, Colchester, Essex.
2008
“The Wearable Vanitas and other work” Platform Gallery, Mistley, Essex.
''Expérience 1: un Squelette Humain’' Benham Gallery, Colchester, Essex.
2007
‘'Day of the Triffids’' Site-specific sculpture (with Natasha Carsberg) Cunlhat, France.
“Enclosure” Installation (with Tim Skinner and Kim Barclay) Benham Gallery, Essex.
2006
“Everything and More” Installation, Benham Gallery, Colchester, Essex.
2005
“Everything and More” Site-specific installation and other work. Chateau de Sacy, France.
Selected group exhibitions
2020
Borders: Colchester Arts Society, firstsite Gallery, Colchester
2019
Symbiartic: International Biomedical Congress, Tech Park, Sofia, Bulgaria.
Art-chaeology: Faculty of Archaeology, Universeteit Leiden, Netherlands.
Art and Anatomy: Edinburgh University Anatomical Museum, Edinburgh.
2018
Skeletons, Stories and Social Bodies II: Conference exhibition, University of Southampton
2017
Death and the Maiden: Conference exhibition, Winchester University
Skeletons, Stories and Social Bodies: Conference exhibition, University of Southampton
2016
Death, Art and Anatomy: Conference exhibition, University of Winchester
ArteCorporis: Exploring the Anatomical Body:. MacMaster Gallery, School of Visual Art and Design, University of South Carolina. USA
2015
Post Mortem: Vesalius tussen kunst en wetenschap: The Rommelare Institute, Ghent, Belgium.
Connections and Tensions: Collaboration with David Watkins commissioned by the Essex Network of Artist Studios (ENAS). Gibberd Gallery, Harlow, Essex.
Year of the Salamander: Art Science Gallery, Austin, Texas, USA
2014
Fabrica Vitae: (touring show) Zykanthos, Greece; Riga, Latvia; and Atlanta, USA.
Image-Text-Object:Practices of Research: Level 4 Gallery, University of Southampton.
The Body is the Instrument of the Soul: Old Operating Theatre, London.
Out of the Box: Fringe Arts Festival, Bristol and No Format Gallery, London.
2013
Conversa…Informação…Comunicação CECAL, Loulé, Portugal.
2012
Curious Pursuits:. Portico Library, Manchester.
Outside 12:Un Lieu de Mémoire: Cuckoo Farm Studios, Colchester, Essex.
2011
Retrofuturology: Observatory, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
The Text is the Text:. Patriot Hall, Edinburgh.
The Wheel Turns. Embrace Arts Centre, University of Leicester.
Fluxface in Space. Digital exhibition, The Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago, USA
2010
Paradiso Contrapasso. Observatory, Brooklyn, New York, USA.
Women Artists in 2010. New Brunswick, Canada.
2009
Base: 'Temporary Art Project' pre-launch show, Co-Exist Gallery, Southend, Essex.
Art2Wear: Accoutrements:. Ontario International Airport, Los Angeles, USA.
Long Nights:. William Angel Gallery, London.
2008
Secrets. Interactive group installation. The Foundry, London.
Wearable Expressions. Palos Verdes Arts Centre, California.
Artist residencies:
2020
Wood Institute Research residency, Mutter Museum/College of Physicians Historical Medical Library. Philadelphia, USA
2019
Artist-in-Residence The Anatomy Museum, University of Edinburgh
2018-19
“Women 100” Artist-in-residence and community artist during the exhibition 'Women 100' at Ipswich Gallery
2017-18
“Wolsey's Angels” Artist-in-residence and community artist during exhibition 'Thomas Wolsey: Ipswich's Greatest Son'. Christchurch Mansion, Ipswich.
2017
Horning visiting lecturer and Artist-in-Residence Oregon State University, School of History, Philosophy and Religion. Corvallis, USA
2016
Probably Roman, Probable Female. Visual and osteological research into a box of human remains from Ipswich Museums' archaeological store. Ipswich Art School Gallery, Suffolk.
2016
Transfert-Collé Workshops for BIOMAB (Biological and Medical Arts in Belgium) during the Antwerp Medical Student's Conference. Universiteit Antwerpen, Belgium.
2014
Exchanges2 With Natasha Carsberg, commissioned by Suffolk Artlink in collaboration with Suffolk Young Carers Association. Changing Room Studios, University College Suffolk.
2011
Wood Institute Research residency, Mutter Museum/College of Physicians Historical Medical Library. Philadelphia, USA.
2008
Rainforest/Essex Writtle College Centre for Art and Design in the Environment, Writtle, Essex.
2008
Workshop leader residency at John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, North Carolina, USA.
2007
Chantiers des Arts: Mon Arbre Cunlhat, France.
Public Arts:
2020
Bourne Narratives (with Nicola Burrell) Commissioned by Essex Cultural Diversity Project in partnership with the National Trust, funded by NT and Arts Council England.
2019
CXXV: 125 years of North School Colchester, Essex. Funded by National Lottery Heritage Fund.
2015
Innovation Internship. Design for a National Memorial for Tissue Donation. NHS National Tissue Bank and Faculty of Health Sciences and University of Southampton.
2013
I Advance Masked in Sensation Festival Sculpture Trail, Chelmsford, Essex
2012
Reminiscence Points: Murals, Ghyll Grove high dependency unit (BUPA), Basildon, Essex.
2011
Our Histories: The Old inside the New. Peterborough City Hospital Trust.
2008
Creative Conveniences. Colchester and Dedham. Colchester Arts Development/Colchester Borough Council.
Monkwick Bunker project. Community Mural, WW2 bunker. Monkwick Estate, Colchester.
2007
Rowhedge Village Hall. Local Heritage community commemoration. Rowhedge, Essex.
2005
Riverside Living Project. Assemblage, Interpretation panel. In consultation with Mencap, Colchester and Braintree Museums, and River Colne Conservation Group.
Curatorial Projects:
2016
Open Season: Selection, curation and display. Ipswich Art School Gallery, Ipswich, Suffolk.
2015
Art/Science/Life: Commissioning and curation of new work for exhibition inspired by the 200 year relationship between Ipswich Museum and the neighbouring Art School; comissioning an Artist-in-Residence; creating a programme of talks, workshops and activities. Ipswich Art School Gallery, Ipswich, Suffolk.
2014
Colours: exhibition of objects selected by colour from Ipswich Museum stores. Ipswich Art School Gallery, Ipswich, Suffolk.
2012
Outside 12: Un Lieu de Memoire: Curation of new site-specific work by tenants of Cuckoo Farm Studios, Colchester, Essex.
2011
Outside 11: Artist as Outsider: Cross-mentoring project with Kateryna Denysova, commissioning and curating international site-specific artwork. Cuckoo Farm Studios, Colchester, Essex.
Awards and Prizes:
2018
First Prize, Colchester Art Society Open Exhibition, Minories Gallery, Colchester.
Winner, delegates choice award at “Skeletons, Stories and Social Bodies II”, University of Southampton.
2008
Best in Show: Accessory at “Wearable Expressions”, Palos Verdes Arts, California, USA.
Winner, Art in the Built Environment Colchester2020 and RIBA Architectural award, for ‘Creative Conveniences, Lion Walk'.
Runner-up, Art in the Built Environment Colchester2020 and RIBA Architectural award, for 'Monkwick Bunker Project'.
Public Collections:
[email protected] Art Collection. University of Edinburgh Anatomy Hub, Scotland, UK
Colchester Arts Centre, Essex, UK
Colchester Central Library, Essex, UK
East Contemporary Arts Collection: UCS, Suffolk, UK
Fluxmuseum: Fort Worth, Texas, USA
Morbid Anatomy Library: Brooklyn, New York, USA
Wildgoose Memorial Library, London, UK (private collection)
Conference papers
2019
Death, Dying and Disposal 14: Centre for Death and Society, University of Bath, UK
2018
Skeletons, Stories and Social Bodies II University of Southampton
2017
Horning Lecture series: The Material Body University of Oregon, Corvallis, USA
2016
Death, Art and Anatomy (with Glenn Harcourt) Winchester University
2014
Vesalius Continuum (with Glenn Harcourt) Zykanthos, Greece
Images of Afterlife (with Glenn Harcourt) University of Turku, Finland
Collect, Exchange, Display (with Glenn Harcourt) Hunterian Museum, London
2013
History and Cultural Representations of Human Remains: Medical Museums and Anatomical Collections Natural History Museum, Toulouse, France.
2012
Monsters: Subject, Object, Abject Manchester Museum, Manchester, UK.
2012
Cultures of Anatomical Collections Universiteit Leiden, Netherlands.
2011
9th Global Conference: Monsters and the Monstrous Interdisciplinary.Net, Mansfield College, Oxford
Arts & Research Grants:
2020
Wood Institute research fellowship award. Mutter Museum and Historical Medical Library, College of Physicians, Philadephia, USA.
2013
firstsite research bursary. firstsite, Colchester, UK
2011
Wood Institute research fellowship award. Mutter Museum and Historical Medical Library, College of Physicians, Philadephia, USA.
2011
Grants for the Arts: Arts Council, England for “Outside 11: Artist as Outsider"
Publications:
“Totem” in Eden Reader, pub. Pacitti Company 2020
“Pathological Anatomy and Self Portraiture” Co-authored with Dr Glenn Harcourt, in Dynamis Vol.36 (1) 'Modelos Anatómicos: Cuerpos y Objetos en la Ciencia Contemporánea' 2016
“Poor Thing” in Interdisciplinary.Net: Volume 4, Number 1 (Summer), Themed Issue on Monstrous Science 2014
'"Making myself a Monster: Self-portraiture as Teratological Specimen" in 'Twisted Mirrors: Monstrous Reflections of Humanity’ : Eds. Seth Alcorn and Steven A. Nardi. Interdisciplinary Press (e-book) 2012
Articles
"Mind the Gap" by Ruby Ormerod, Green Pebble Magazine, Winter 2009/2010
Other work
Collections and Learning Curator, Ipswich Museums. 2020-2021
Artist Ranger, Colchester and Ipswich Museums Service. 2015-2017
