Artist Statement

ARTIST STATEMENT

SHARP

They/She

A queer working class artist, activist, producer whose interdisciplinary approach moves between experimental video, photography, sculpture, and sound installations. while researching and exploring the human condition through a queer lens. With works that deal with issues around gender, sexuality, and social commentary. Themes of works within this have included Death, loss, illness, memories, time, displacement, isolation and ways of remembrance from a personal perspective as well as a collective experience.

Photography has been a vital tool in documenting sub culture, LGBTQIA+ life and for mapping changes in how Queer people identify and relate to each other and the world.

My works stem from photography and an extensive archive of imagery that dates back to the 80’s, from this anchor point I’ve expanded into video, installation and sculptural intervention as a means to occupy space.

My works originate from a vital urge to document my own life, my butch identity and the spaces around me be they domestic or out in the natural landscape in order to take over and illuminate the shadow left by section 28 and provide an inter-generational connection with repetitions in histories that continue to infringe on the liberties of LGBTQIA+ people

SHARP has works held in national and private collections, and has previously exhibited and performed at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Newlyn Art gallery & The Exchange Cornwall, The Gallery 78 in Reykjavik Iceland, VOID Derry, The Curfew Tower Cushendall, Open Eye Gallery Liverpool, Manchester Art Gallery, The Whitworth Gallery Manchester, Deptford x festival London, LOOK11 international photography festival Liverpool, HYPERLOCAL festival Buenos Aires, Silent Barn and Exchange Rates New York.