Jessica Rose Lewis

My practice embodies the process of foraging and wielding the potential of natural materials, such as onion skins, eggshells and human hair to plunge viewers into an unsettlingly gripping space where they feel fascinated to enter but disturbed once inside. While studying my BA (Hons) Fine Art degree in Nottingham, I discovered a passion of collecting waste, turning it into handmade paper sculptures to form the basis of my installations. Simultaneously, collecting hair from salons and harnessing its potential to create a sense of disgust and fear. Growing up in the countryside of North Dorset inspired a love of the environment, inspiring me to use waste and discarded fabrics as the materiality in my work to be as eco-friendly as I can. I avoid fixating on the outcome because it is the process that truly represents the work; the process of foraging, tearing apart the materials and using water to mould together new forms. The love for the process inspires me to be an Art Therapist.