Bio

Abigail Brown was born in Leeds, Yorkshire in 1981, and spent much of her early childhood years in the care of her maternal grandma who worked as a seamstress. Her grandma’s treadle Singer sewing machine, scrap bags of fabric, and loose trailing threads became familiar friends and imprinted the life of a maker upon her.

She completed her BA in Surface Decoration and Printed Textiles in 2003 and worked initially as a print designer and a children’s book designer before embarking upon a new life as a self-employed artist/maker in 2007.

From a studio at the renowned Cockpit Arts, Abigail launched her fabric and paper works: fabric bird sculptures, art dolls and paper mâché animal heads, which have been sold and exhibited around the world, featured in magazines such as Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, and Elle Decoration, and stocked at Liberty London, Paul Smith Anthropologie, and Takashimaya NY.

Most recent exhibitions include ‘Story Tellers: Puppets by Artists’ at Cavin Morris Gallery, NY.

Over the years Abigail has expanded her choice of mediums to include cardboard, wood, and ceramics, exploring larger scale works and installation but her focus on the animal kingdom remains constant.

Her most recent explorations have led her into the field of ‘bio-art’, building animal head sculptures that fruit mushrooms. This work explores very personal experiences of grief and depression.

Artist Statement

I’m a London-based multidisciplinary artist exploring the Animal Kingdom in sculpture, drawing, painting, and printmaking.

My animals often take the form of gods and goddesses, spiritual beings, processional figures in acts of ceremony, keepers of sacred items, story-tellers, and protectors. They are informed by my love of the hand-made, by travel and my interest in different cultures, by ancient myth and folklore, and by the folk art I collect.

Greatly concerned with species and habitat loss, my work aims to highlight the plight of the natural world from human interference, raising funds for conservation projects across the globe.
Recycling plays an important role in my work, working to repurpose materials whether old clothing, used cardboard, and/or long-forgotten buried ‘treasures’ found with the aid of a metal detector.

My most recent work is my most personal to date, exploring my own experiences of grief, depression, and anxiety and the importance of connection, community, and openness.  

www.abigail-brown.co.uk