Kelly Gardner

I studied Fine Art Painting & Printmaking at Bretton Hall College, University of Leeds gaining a First Class Honours BA Degree (1995-98) and have an MA in Fine Art from Birmingham City University (2001).

I have always been inspired by collecting and using vintage objects in my work, from fragments of old lace that I printed and bleached on to large scale canvases; christening gowns that I made ghostly photograms from; dress sculptures made from book pages and copper wire and collages incorporating a variety of found objects including buttons, stamps and cigarette cards. Car boot sales and charity shops are my idea of heaven for finding treasures I can use in my work.

It was in 2014 that I first started making mosaics from vintage china. I had always saved pieces of broken china with the intention of one day trying out mosaic. I absolutely loved it. My mosaics are made from china from various eras that has been chipped, broken and discarded. Using tile nippers I hand cut and reconstruct the fragments. I find the patterns on old china very beautiful and evocative. Flora and fauna to patterns from the 1960’s and 70’s are a constant source of inspiration. Rather like a patchwork quilt the china fragments represent memories, each piece has a history, traces and residues of the past.