Jessica Akerman works across textiles, sculpture, drawing, painting and assemblage.
She is interested in how the body interacts with everyday realities, such as the act of labour, dressing, and the awkwardness of being a body amongst others, and how these relate to the places in which they exist. Bodies often appear as fragmented parts, or shapes stand in for Human or animal forms. Through humour, joy, discomfort and embarrassment, she explores the line between what is hidden and what is revealed.
The systems and codes constructed to give, meaning, support, or to exert control are often incorporated into the process of making; for example, simulating work songs to try and capture the gestures of labour; exploring how colonial trade changed the flora of a place; or using spreadsheets to create absurdly decorative largescale drawings.
She is based in Bristol, UK.
