Temporal | Spatial | Spiritual

Artist in Residence Exhibition

St Julian’s Church

 

New for November and December, our resident artist Debra Shipley has created a Christmas bowl, on display now at St Julian's Church.

Festive and sparkling, the bowl is nevertheless polluted with plastic and residual chemicals from the materials used to make it. Commenting on the bowl, Debra says, 'This is by far the most polluted bowl I have ever made. In addition to the residual chemicals and unwanted specks of plastic which are part of all the bowls I make, "Christmas Bowl" has fragments of tinsel and discarded broken Christmas tree decorations, all of which are made from plastic and coated with other potentially toxic materials. It is sad that the pretty decorations which we all want to enjoy at Christmas have been commercially overtaken with mass-produced and unnecessary plastic items which quickly get broken and end up in landfill.'

Debra has also made a special Christmas picture on display at our visitor centre. Oxfam Books in Norwich has supplied her with donated books too damaged to sell. Responding to the Julian Shrine at Christmas, the artist selected a page from a damaged book which depicted the three kings visiting the baby Jesus. She then hand water-coloured the image and added gold, recycling and repurposing to create a unique work of art.

More of her pictures, made in the same way, are on sale in the Oxfam Bookshop in Norwich with all profits going to the charity.

To get in touch with Debra or find out more about her projects, you can find her on Instagram, just search for @debra.artist.