Penelope Burnett (UK)
PENELOPE BURNETT
Biography:
Penelope, Penny, is a mature student at Glyndwr University, North Wales, currently studying for her Masters degree.
In her younger years she completed an art foundation course, and an Audio Visual Btec National Diploma but a lack of confidence along with life’s experiences she did not further her studies until she was 50 years old, obtaining her Bachelor of Arts Degree at 53.
Inspired by this achievement she is currently studying for her Masters Degree.
Penny has always been a maker, born into it with both parents being makers. She uses a mix of mediums and different skill sets.
Penelope creates pieces of jewelry that evolve from experiences in her own life.
Throughout the BA course, she found that she subconsciously draws from her personal experiences and her ideas come from deep within.
She best describes her process as that of; “random ideas that pop unexpectedly into my mind and further along the process I am able to relate them to a time in my life.
Times that I don’t generally talk about.
Suppressed memories”
These suppressed memories are filtered with more positive observational images of the beauty in nature, the stunning countryside, cityscapes, beaches, the beautiful earth, architecture, textiles, patterns, general surroundings, all things she loves and is inspired by on a daily basis.
Continuing on from the collection she created for her BA ‘Behind Closed Doors’ she continues to explore the idea of ‘sorry gifts’, ‘the after-the-fact gifts’ and the fake facades.
Collection Concept: BRUISE
Penelope is a mixed media artist and through her work She aims to raise awareness of domestic violence and coercive control.
These Brooches are part of a series called Bruise. They are about the fake facades perpetrators create, often buying ‘sorry’ gifts, beautiful pieces of jewelry for the victim but the gifts have hidden stories involving behaviors of coercion, hidden violence, hidden bruises and mental trauma.
Created using a needle lace technique, they highlight the juxtaposition between soft ‘feminine’ craft and acts of violence.
An intricate partially ‘bruised’ frontage with a ‘blood red’ or ‘black and blue’ backing that cast shadows and reflections that whisper of secret hidden traumas.
