Jane V Southgate

I studied at Chelsea College of Arts and have exhibited in London and England. Based in rural Suffolk, I am inspired daily by the rhythms of the natural environment around me.

I have worked as Artist in residence, and on research projects with the British Trust for Ornithology, Kew Gardens, National History Museum Tring, MedImmune, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Manor House Museum and Stowhealth. My Nest Egg project received funding from Arts Council England. Whilst exhibiting at the Welcome Trust, Knitted Brain was purchased by a previous President of the Royal Society of Medicine.

Through my investigations of the natural environment, identity, biology and the rich tapestry of life, I use a wide range of materials; paint, ink, paper, yarn, ribbon, wire, clay and glass. The techniques are equally vast; painting, collage, printmaking, sculpture and ceramics. I explore the relationship of traditional women’s skills and crafts such as knitting and crochet with unconventional materials such as copper wire, glass, and clay. This visual paradox weaves together physical and symbolic threads of life, genetics, and natural forms.

Throughout my career, I have explored the role of Mother Nature in the rhythms of life, birth, nurturing, death, and renewal.