Gillian Lee Smith
(Nottingham Exhibition)

Since graduating from Edinburgh College of Art with a degree in Performance Costume in 2005, Gillian Lee Smith has worked on her own creations as well as teaching workshops with community groups. Recently Gillian has been coordinating a project involving reminiscence work with older people, which has been a huge source of inspiration for her latest artwork involving themes such as memories, dreams and our hidden characteristics.

Inpired by her degree in Performance Costume and a lifetime's fascination with storytelling, history, fairytales and folklore, Gillian paints and creates characters that are melancholic and sometimes represent the darker side of our emotions. Puppets and dolls that have come to life, long lost souls, decadence and decay, distorted figures and Victorian style prosthetics. Sometimes weird and wonderful, but always endlessly captivating and thought-provoking, Gillian's work embodies the contrasts and complexities of life.