BOXES OF CURIOSITY

JENNIE SHARMAN-COX

Found objects, antiques and collectables, with their own history, have always played an important part in my work as a way to heighten an emotional response or explore a theme. The use of shrine-like boxes, with their religious overtones, enables me to play out three dimensional stories, often from the female perspective. Influenced by what I see as the strictures of religious teachings, the frailty of our bodies and the pressures and anxieties of our secular society, I’m exploring our curious fascination with death, desire, love and loss, whilst drawing on historical references, figurative art, sacred imagery and mythology. A line of poetry or a piece of text can suggest a narrative, or sometimes the antique objects have their own tales to tell and I would then use my clay and textile skills to complete the scene, hopefully with some humour and always a little theatricality.

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Jennie Sharman-Cox has had a varied artistic background. After training and working as a display artist in London’s Carnaby Street, she returned to art school to study ceramics before setting up her own studio, exhibiting and teaching. Changing direction again  she joined a leading theatrical costumiers, designing and making costumes for the stage. In 2010 she made her first collection of hand sewn costume jewellery which was selected to be part of the ‘Bling’ Exhibition at the V&A Bethnal Green and in 2011 she began producing her ‘Boxes of Curiosity’ which are now her main focus of work.

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