ABOUT THE ARTIST

With a love of collecting: remnants, magazines, found objects and discarded materials, Lorna Stennett’s work focuses on women. From purely figurative to the symbolic and drawing from personal experiences, reinterpreting and recontextualising these materials in a way that not only addresses women’s role in society but also embraces the empowerment and emancipation witnessed by a generation.


The tradition of collage, using images from magazines and found materials, is an important starting point, communicating not only 
a depiction of the fragmented nature of our world but also its togetherness. Collage also allows the artist to combine and manipulate contexts and to distort perspectives, situations and faces. Subconscious decisions are reflected in the materials and images used with often sobering and political undertones.  


“The idea of ‘jumping into the unknown’ is challenging but also exciting and appealing. Consequently, my creative process employs the techniques of Surrealism and Dada and I am excited by the transformation of the original image in this way.   I know that my work is done when I feel a deep connection with what I have created”.

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"make do and mend"

“Fabric has been important in my life for a long time and during the past year I have begun to focus on interpreting its usage as a Fine Art medium.  I favour the use of fabrics and techniques that are otherwise employed in soft furnishing, quilting, tapestry, embroidery, dress-making and basketry. These skills are traditionally regarded as ‘feminine’, a preconception that has been overturned by contemporary artists such as Grayson Perry’s with his craft based work and Michael Raedaker who embroiders his art. Tracey Emin who creates appliqué and embroidery art, Annette Messager and Koyai Kusami who use fabric to create 3-d art as well as collage artist John Stezaker have all influenced and helped shape my current practice”.


“With the current economic climate, reminiscent of  WW2 shortages where people, including artists, had to make do with whatever material was available, we are now much more aware of recycling and ‘make do and mend’.  In that spirit, my work is very much about using what is available or what I can easily source; from discarded curtains, fabric samples and remnants and end of line ranges. Using predominantly natural fabrics such as silk or hard, robust materials such as denim or linen and allowing the qualities of the fabric, its textures and tones to communicate what it is to be feminine”.

By combining a vibrant colour palette with more muted, sober tones within her work, the artist imbues both a sense of celebration and the natural qualities women possess.  With its tactility and sensuality the work speaks of feminine qualities that transcend gender stereotype, race or age.