KELLY JESSIMAN

I find inspiration all around me in shapes and forms. It could be a ladder or a chimney, for example. I will often look at old graffiti - Roman, medieval and sometimes modern like school kids' graffiti. I love how humans haven’t changed much.

“I mainly use clay. I find it very therapeutic, submerging my hands in mud. Clay forces me to get things finished as it dries and it has a time span on it. Although it is a long process and very unforgiving.”

I think a lot about art in the everyday home. These recent pots I’ve made were to bring protection and luck back into the home.

I was really interested in medieval graffiti and ‘witches marks’ which were symbols graffitied on to walls and hidden in roofs to protect the home, church, barn from evil and bring luck. Over the years and many buildings being done up those sacred marks have been lost. And I would like to bring them back into the home.

I love being surrounded by beautiful or interesting things to look at, so why not make things for our homes that bring joy and beauty? Art is for the everyday, for every person.

Kelly Jessiman studied foundation art at Chelsea School of Art and went on to study BA fine art sculpture at Camberwell School of Art. Recent exhibitions include ‘Babes in Arms’ Studio take over The Hastings Contemporary; ‘A Room of One Own’ group show Livingston Bristol; ‘FOLDE’ group show coastal currents Hastings; ‘New colour now’ Livingston London; ‘Babes in Arms’ group show De La Warr; ‘A Trip Around the Sun’ group show Big Yin Gallery.