Room Portrait #1 Painting

Textile designer and artist, Jojo Bedell creates mixed media artworks from her home studio in East London. Born and raised in Sheffield, Jo's natural interest in art started from a young age, encouraged by her mother and older sister who would often be drawing, painting and creating at home. Following her sister's path into fashion and completing her textile design degree in Nottingham, Jo moved to London and worked as a textile print designer for ten years, creating prints for various fashion brands and interiors. However, when the pandemic hit and Jo was expecting her first child, she decided to pursue her true passion and devote her time to creating her own art more seriously. With her roots in textiles still very visible in her work, Jo's print filled paintings derive from themes exploring her current personal experiences. Her first works were centered around interiors and a longing for outdoors and nature when "lockdown" had us stuck indoors, with her collection "Part of the Furniture" taking direct inspiration from this time. Since the birth of her son, the ideas behind her work have naturally been inspired by the chaos and beauty of motherhood and identity, and the constant mixed emotions around work and childcare. Her mixed media pieces so far incorporate acrylic, oil, pastels, ink, gold leaf, charcoal and graphite, and as she continues to create and evolve as an artist, Jo remains committed to exploring new techniques and finding new opportunities to see where her art can take her.