JENNIE SHARMAN-COX
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of our secular society, I’m exploring our curious fascination with death, desire, love and loss, whilst drawing on historical references, figurative art, sacred imagery and mythology.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.
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.


COLLECTION
BOXES OF CURIOSITY


SHOWS:
2011 Atelier Gallery, Leigh-on-Sea, UK
2011 Bling Exhibition, V & A Museum, Bethnal Green, London
2011 Bolivar Street Gallery, Sanger, Texas, USA
2012 Stepney Green Design Collection, London
2013 Llantarnum Grange Arts Centre, Cwmbran, UK
2013 Luna & Curious, Shoreditch, London
2015 Thames Group of Artists, Mixed Media pop-up exhibition, London to Leigh-on-Sea
2016 57th Essex Open Exhibition, Beecroft Gallery, Southend
2017 An Interior Perspective, Lingwood Samuel Gallery, Godalming
2017 Gallery 286, London - Group Show
2018 58th Essex Open Exhibition, Beecroft Gallery, Southend, Winner - Best Work Mixed Media
2019 Flux Exhibition, National Army Museum London
2019 Gallery 286, London - Solace of Objects
2019 Gallery 286, London - Christmas Show Dec 10- 20