Jane Simpson (born 1965) is a

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

artist who lives and works in

Carmarthenshire Carmarthenshire (; or informally ') is a Principal areas of Wales, county in the South West Wales, south-west of Wales. The three largest towns are Llanelli, Carmarthen and Ammanford. Carmarthen is the county town and administrative centre. ...

. She primarily produces sculptures, using diverse elements such as ice, silicone rubber, wood, precious metals, glass, ceramics and household objects including items bought at flea markets and on eBay.

Early life and education

Simpson was born in

Swansea Swansea ( ; ) is a coastal City status in the United Kingdom, city and the List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, second-largest city of Wales. It forms a Principal areas of Wales, principal area, officially known as the City and County of ...

, Wales. She graduated from the

Chelsea School of Art Chelsea College of Arts is a constituent college of the University of the Arts London, a public art and design university in London, England. It offers further and higher education courses in fine art, graphic design, interior design, produ ...

in London in 1988 and earned an MFA from the

Royal Academy of Art The Royal Academy of Arts (RA) is an art institution based in Burlington House in Piccadilly London, England. Founded in 1768, it has a unique position as an independent, privately funded institution led by eminent artists and architects. Its ...

in London in 1993. In 1994 she was included in the seminal exhibition ''Some Went Mad, Some Ran Away'', curated by

Damien Hirst Damien Steven Hirst (; né Brennan; born 7 June 1965) is an English artist and art collector. He was one of the Young British Artists (YBAs) who dominated the art scene in the UK during the 1990s. He is reportedly the United Kingdom's richest ...

, at the

Serpentine Gallery The Serpentine Galleries are two contemporary art galleries in Kensington Gardens, Westminster, Greater London. Recently rebranded to just Serpentine, the organisation is split across Serpentine South, previously known as the Serpentine Galler ...

, London. Simpson's work was also part of the controversial ''Sensation'' exhibition of 1997.

Artwork and career

Simpson is well known for her sculptures, which involve various materials, from rubber casting techniques to sewing machines connected to refrigeration units so that they become covered with a layer of frost. Regarding her work, Simpson has said "I think of it as a marriage of two different technologies." Simpson is also the current production manager of a portfolio of prints called ''House of Fairy Tales'', which includes work by

Dexter Dalwood Dexter Dalwood (born 1960) is a British artist now based in Mexico City. Biography From 1981 until 1985 Dalwood attended Saint Martin's School of Art in London and, from 1988 until 1990, the Royal College of Art, London. Before becoming an art ...

Cornelia Parker Cornelia Ann Parker (born 14 July 1956) is an English visual artist, best known for her sculpture and installation art. Life and career Parker was born in 1956 in Cheshire, England. She studied at the Gloucestershire College of Art and Design ...

, Sir Peter Blake and

Gavin Turk Gavin Turk (born 1967) is a British artist from Guildford in Surrey, and was considered to be one of the Young British Artists. Turk's oeuvre deals with issues of authenticity and identity, engaged with modernist and avant-garde debates surround ...

. In 2014 Simpson returned to live in Swansea and opened an art gallery in the city.

Notable exhibitions and collections

Recent solo exhibitions include: ''A Three Way Conversation with Myself'' at the New Art Centre, Roche Court, Wiltshire (2005); ''“Tableau'' at CAC Malaga (2004); and ''Somewhere (between freezing and melting) there lies passion'' at both Galería Javier López, Madrid and Sandra Gering Gallery, New York (2004). Recent group exhibitions include ''kissingcousins'' curated by Jane Simpson and

Sarah Staton Sarah Staton (born 1961) is a British sculptor. She is head of the sculpture programme at the Royal College of Art.Royal College of ArtSarah Staton , Royal College of Art accessdate: 30 August 2014 Sarah Staton was born in 1961. Her work is in ...

at the

Henry Moore Institute The Henry Moore Foundation is a registered charity in England, established for education and promotion of the fine arts — in particular, to advance understanding of the works of Henry Moore, and to promote the public appreciation of sculpt ...

, Leeds (2007); ''Weather Report (Art and Climate Change)'' at the Centro Atlántico de Arte Moderno, Canary Islands (2007); and the Valencia Biennale (2005). Simpson's work is part of many public and private collections including the

Arts Council of England Arts Council England is an arm's length non-departmental public body of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It is also a registered charity. It was formed in 1994 when the Arts Council of Great Britain was divided into three separate bo ...

, Damien Hirst's Murderme Collection, the

British Council The British Council is a British organisation specialising in international cultural and educational opportunities. It works in over 100 countries: promoting a wider knowledge of the United Kingdom and the English language (and the Welsh lang ...

and the Colección Ciudad de Pamplona. Four of her works were in the

Saatchi Collection The Saatchi Gallery is a London gallery for contemporary art and an independent charity opened by Charles Saatchi in 1985. Exhibitions which drew upon the collection of Charles Saatchi, starting with US artists and minimalism, moving to the D ...

. In 2000, the

Tate Tate is an institution that houses, in a network of four art galleries, the United Kingdom's national collection of British art, and international modern and contemporary art. It is not a government institution, but its main sponsor is the UK ...

purchased her piece ''Sunset Still Life'', a color inkjet print of a photograph of a modern still life composed of

Tupperware Tupperware is an American company that manufactures and internationally distributes preparation, storage, and serving containers for the kitchen and home. It was founded in 1942 by Earl Tupper, who developed his first bell-shaped container and ...

and plastic cups. Her lithograph ''Swiss Cottage'' was also purchased by the Tate in 2008.

References

External links

Jane Simpson at Gering & López Gallery
{{DEFAULTSORT:Simpson, Jane 1965 births Living people 20th-century British sculptors 21st-century British sculptors 20th-century Welsh women artists 21st-century Welsh women artists Alumni of Chelsea College of Arts Alumni of the Royal College of Art Artists from Swansea 20th-century British women sculptors 21st-century British women sculptors