Jo Chapman is a site-specific artist working in the public realm on large scale commissions, she has undertaken projects in the UK, France, India and Ireland. Jo also works as an arts educator and has lectured, curated and worked on the design and build of gardens.
Originally studying embroidery at Birmingham School of Art, Jo has worked in a range of formats from stitch to drawing, printmaking, text, sculpture and temporary, installation-based works. As the work grew in scale, she wanted to give it some permanence and began undertaking commissions for public space, more recently large-scale sculptures. Although the materials used have changed along with the scale of the projects a preoccupation with the use of line and detail have remained constant.
Jo’s visual language draws from diverse influences, she does not try to create a particular style but to be responsive and to continue to find new ways of working, the ideas drive the work. She sees her practise as a unique approach to solving problems and bringing high quality art to spaces outside of galleries, injecting some beauty and a sense of curiosity into our everyday lives. In addition to public works she also makes experimental drawings and smaller sculptures which continue to inform and inspire the commissions.
Jo has more than 20 years’ experience of delivering public art projects and has extensive experience of working with communities to engage them in the process. She is experienced in developing projects from concept design through to planning, fabrication and installation.
She divides her time between Suffolk, UK and Normandy, France