Artists work

Here are just some of the photos, paintings, sculpture, prints and installations being exhibited this year in the festival as part of Open Studios 2/3rd April 2-6pm

Sara Willets photos

Sara Willet

Untitled

Exhibiting at the Jamworks Studio 73, Lusanne Road

Tishna painting

Tisna Westerhof

SHADOWED

Technique DRYPOINT LINOCUT (printmaking)

See tisna.com

Exhibiting at 44 Musgrove Road.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Tisna Westerhof was born in The Netherlands in 1975, and studied printmaking at the Royal College of Art in The Hague. She obtained a MA at Central St Martins College of Art and Design in London.

Tisna lives and works in London, UK. She has exhibited internationally, with solo and group exhibitions in Japan, Germany, Switzerland and The Netherlands. In 1999 she was awarded the Dutch Royal Printmaking Award. She’s currently part of the summer exhibition at the Royal Academy in London.

ABOUT HER WORK

Tisna Westerhof’s work has a strong narrative. Inspired by key life events she explores the symbolic meaning of life and death, grief, birth, love, separation, belonging and being. Her art is one of disclosure, giving expression to personal hopes, beliefs, successes and failures in candid work that has an uncompromising engagement with personal and social concerns. As one of a twin Tisna is intrigued by dual concepts: male and female, heaven and earth, individuality within a (family) group, sadness and joy. Being involved and at the same time feeling like an outsider has formed a constant theme throughout her life.

The conventional handicraft techniques she employs – ranging from printmaking, to drawing, needlework, embroidery and paper cuts – are labour intensive and providing her with a process that allows for time to reflect on the essence of what she’s expressing.

Her reinvention of traditionally female handicrafts in combination with words and simplified images offer the spectator a compelling route to explore the melancholic side of life without losing sight of the beauty of it. ‘I want to make something that is colourful and pleasant to the eye but on closer inspection has a symbolic meaning’.

Shelia Hardy - Pumpkins