MerVivka Drawing

My name is Chloe Henderson. I am an Edinburgh-based interdisciplinary artist. I am a Masters graduate of the Birmingham School of Jewellery with Distinction in Jewellery and Related Products in 2018. I previously trained as a jeweller at The Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Dundee, and graduated with a Bachelors of Design Honours in 2014. I am an illustrator, filmmaker, zine-maker, and jeweller. I make art inspired by the natural world, mythological creatures, faerytales, nerd culture, and the radical idea that humans should be kind to every living thing. The work that I developed throughout my MA centred around expanding the jewellery object to create Chimeric human-animal hybrid costumes on a large scale. I became enamoured with the medium of film, and combined these pieces with their human actors to form characters who captured ridiculous, surreal, fantastical stories that were told through filmed mockumentaries. My portfolio of illustration is also inspired by my penchant for the fantastical, and I often feature strange creatures within my highly patterned portraiture. I developed my drawing process through the metal-etching within my DJCAD degree show collection. The crisp black and white lines have become my signature style. Through my illustration work, I journeyed into the world of zine-making. I set up the company Coin-Operated Press, in 2020, with my business-partner Katie Mayes, where we host workshops, run zine fairs, create educational online content, produce, publish, and distribute our own collaborative zines. I frequently table at markets, fairs, and comic conventions, where I sell my art and I have hosted educational art workshops at these events. I have exhibited internationally, and travelled my film The Chimera Artist to be screened as part of the Oscillations exhibition at Munich Jewellery Week 2019. I am a member of GENERATORprojects and I took part in their 2020 member’s show. In my spare time I tame unicorns and swim with mermaids.