International Women’s Day celebrates the social, economic, cultural, and political achievements of women as well as being a call to action for accelerating women’s equality. Here at Muddy Cornwall we are marking the day once again with an interview series of inspiring women across the Duchy, celebrating women’s achievements, how are we raising awareness about discrimination and what is being done to take action to drive gender parity.

Tell me a bit about yourself, your background and what you do – and how you came to do this?

I’m a visual artist living and working in Cornwall. I didn’t go to art school but have been building my own art education bit by bit since 2011 and decided to take the plunge and dedicate myself fully to being a full time artist during lockdown in 2020. Since then I’ve completed a year long Defining Practice course with Newlyn Art School and am currently on their mentoring programme thanks to Cultivator Cornwall who helped me with funding. I’ve lived in London, Oxford and the Midlands before I moved here.

I work with paint, digital drawing and photography, often mixing medias together. I paint people, their faces and bodies and my visual representation of emotions and how we ‘sense’ one another.

I work with a bold palette and often incorporate bright blocks of colour. Colour is incredibly important to me, as is my application of the paint.

One of the themes of IWD this year is elevating visibility of creatives. What does that mean to your work?

Two of my pieces were recently selected on Channel 4’s tv show Grayson Perry’s Art Club which I was over the moon about. I didn’t know I’d been selected until it was aired on tv, so it was a massive shock. There was much dancing and silent screaming (as I didn’t want to wake my children!).

It’s been wonderful to know my work resonated with Grayson and so many others. All of the works from the series are now in an Exhibition at the Midlands Art Centre until the end of April. It’s a great show and well worth a visit. Birmingham is a great city (and where I was born!)

I’m also currently on the Mentoring Programme at Newlyn Art School, led by artist Jesse Leroy-Smith. I’m so pleased to be on it as it’s like living out my art school dreams! It’s really challenging me and helping me to become the artist I want to be. I was awarded an Individual Skills grant from Cultivator Cornwall which enabled me to do the course so I’m incredibly grateful for that.

What do you do to further the IWD themes in Cornwall?

I want to be an example of a woman, who is also a mother to young children, in a neurodiverse family, and who didn’t attend art school (in the traditional sense) who can exist and make a living from being an artist. I want to show that it’s possible, and I really hope that it is! There definitely seems to be a shift in realising that women, and many other groups, have been and continue to be underrepresented in the arts world. I really hope this consciousness continues to turn into action and a more equal balance can be redressed. Art should be for everyone in whatever form you’re interested in.

I also think because of my subject matter, woman’s experience of anger, motherhood, body image, neurodiversity and non-verbal communication my work often opens up a conversation or shines a light on something which is often brushed aside or misunderstood. Although I don’t set out to do this, as more and more people see my work I think it often resonates with them too and makes them (and me!) feel like we’re less alone.

During the last two years day to day working life changed for some. Have you been able to continue any ideas into 2023? Or indeed anything you’d like to change?

My day-to-day life has changed dramatically in so many ways over the last two years as it’s been the start of me being an artist full time. I mostly work from home and there are challenges and advantages to that. I love that my daughters see what I do and are now really into drawing and often create alongside me. It’s fascinating to see how they work. I attend a lot of talks and workshops online which is fantastic. I often feel quite far removed from other artists but now I can watch a talk at the Royal Academy at home and listen watch a live Q&A on Instagram. Don’t get me wrong, I still love and crave all the face to face stuff, nothing beats that, but the online stuff is great for me too. In 2023 I’ll be exhibiting at Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens with my mentoring group and am currently making plans for more shows and hopefully a residency.

Do you have any role models? Who are they?

I’m not sure I’d say ‘role models’ but I’ve always loved Tracey Emin’s work and I love what she’s doing up in Margate with her studios, residencies, collaborating and raising funds for others through sales. It feels like she’s doing philanthropy in her own way. She always seems so unapologetically her and it’s so powerful. She feels like a beacon of hope.

Katy Hessel is making massive leaps in terms of bringing women artists to the forefront, both past and present. Her book ‘A History of Art Without Men’ has introduced me to so many great artists that I’d never even heard of. She has a great podcast and Instagram too called Great Women Artists. I really admire her for standing up to the art world and shinning a light on so many people who seem to have been missed or forgotten.

Faye Dobinson is a Cornwall based artist, educator and curator who has just finished an incredible run of shows/residencies over 2 years or so at Jupiter Gallery down in Newlyn. She has championed so many local artists by giving them the gallery for a week to do with as they wanted. An opportunity that many of those people would not have otherwise had the chance to do. She’s really helped a lot of artists to exhibit, create and express themselves including myself and fellow artist Penny Chivers Stanley whom I did a show with there last year.

What’s your favourite Cornish beach / view?

Port Quinn is a favourite part of the coast, the view from just up the coast path, on the corner there is absolutely stunning, makes me feel like I’m on the edge of the world.

Cott Valley is stunning, the terrain makes you feel like your in a giants valley, it feels so different and ‘other worldly’.

And I love the view of Rough Tor and Brown Willy from Davidstow airfield. I’ve been there when it’s covered in snow, with wintery skies and sun shining down, that will be etched in my mind for a long time.

What do you do in Cornwall to make the most of living here?

Go to the beach! I’ll never tire of it. I love being so close to the sea, I’m originally from the Midlands which is about as far from the sea as you can get in the UK, so it feels like a total luxury to see it most days. And it’s free! (If you can find a free parking spot!) Being outside in general is what I love the most, seeing the weather and getting outside to experience it and feel more closely connected to the seasons.

Favourite cafe/ restaurant / shop?

Oooh tough one, so many to chose from. St Kew cafe is my local coffee shop and I love it there.

Bango Kitchen in Penryn, their food and flavours are awesome.

Lewis’s fish and chips in Newlyn, I go there every time I attend my Mentoring course. Great curry sauce, don’t dip a pickled egg in it though, not a good combo.

And basically any charity shop, there’s always something interesting around. I recently found a pink kimono with weird red devil faces all over it, awesome.

Emma’s works are currently on display in Grayson’s Art Club Exhibition at the Midlands Art Centre and catch her upcoming group show Tremenheere Sculpture Gardens from 16-18 June.

emmadigerudwhite.com