Luton artist hosts ‘thought-provoking’ free exhibition inspired by Bedfordshire and St. Helena

An artist and poet from Luton is hosting a free-to-visit exhibition that showcases the ‘rich tapestry’ of both Bedfordshire and St. Helena.

Sophie Gresswell’s ‘On the Wings of a Wire bird’ exhibition will take place at The Higgins, Bedford, from February 3 to June 9. Her art is themed on mixed heritage and different cultures.

Sophie said: “What I have tried to do in this show is bring more focus to the people of St Helena, and how their history and identity is so tied to being British. The show is also a space for conversations around our heritage, identity, and migration, and how we can come together to better see how our journeys connect.”

The exhibition is heavily inspired by Sophie’s artist's residency at St. Helena, where she discovered all about her ancestry first-hand. Sophie and her mother June Essex, a former Luton News photographer, visited St. Helena to work with the community.

Sophie said: “This was the first anyone from our family has been to the island since my grandpa left 70-odd years ago, so it was an extremely special trip, it brought his stories to life and we met relatives and made new friends.

“To be surrounded by the people, to be invited into homes to share food and find family ties was wonderful. Just to hear the accent was something very special for us. We were even invited into the house where my grandpa grew up.”

She added: "With St Helena being so remote, it has always been a dream to get there. I grew up knowing how much it meant to mum but how distant the people and culture felt from us in the UK, getting to finally visit made us both feel more whole like we understood ourselves that little bit better after finding our heritage.”

The three main paintings in the exhibition feature the phrase “Loyal roots, Burn ‘em up, Unshakable us” – a play on the motto of St. Helena, ‘Loyal and Unshakable’. Sophie previously went to China in 2013 for another art residency, where she ‘explored the shift between Chinese cultural tradition and mass consumerism’.

She said: “I have always loved art, I remember it being my favourite subject at school, and always doodling. I think being surrounded by creativity really influenced me, mum taking photographs and dad writing poetry obviously seeped into my being.

“I balance creating my own work with work in communities, it helps me understand myself and others better and I really love it. Being from Luton I have always been surrounded by culture and characters in the community.”

Sophie works with communities, schools, and organisations to explore identity in art – including an ‘exploring the refugee crisis’ workshop at Hillsborough Junior School.

Sophie added: “It took a while to know where to go as an artist, but now a real creative community exists in the town, one where the creatives are so open to sharing and supporting each other if you reach out.”

Visit the Higgins Bedford website to find out more.