Phoebe Fordham BA (Hons) Illustration with Animation
Strange stories are often the starting point for my creative projects, as I am often inspired by the mysterious creatures and their tangled journeys. Perhaps the allure of these narratives stems from how they reflect the realities of societies historically and currently. Despite the far-fetched adventures that these characters go on, they each individually represent the nature of humanity, encompassing emotions, fears and dreams.
I often allow these fairy tales to dictate the path of my creativity, sometimes using them as inspiration when making authorial and independent work that is more expressive and versatile. However recently I have been recreating such stories in the form of illustrated books as a way of making them more widely accessible.
When working I tend to use a range of processes and materials alongside one another. For instance, I enjoy the intricate and descriptive quality achieved through papercutting, but also like the range of experimental possibilities available within printmaking. Textiles practices have featured heavily within my work, specifically when depicting creatures – I find that creating 3D fabric dolls really brings the characters to life.
Combining these various disciplines within my body of work presents its own challenges but personally this keeps the essence of creativity alive. I feel it is important to not limit myself to one area of study or progression, but to explore the many potential outcomes that develop through the amalgamation of mediums.
