Camilla Emson is an interdisciplinary artist who works between Somerset (UK) and Mallorca (ES).
Her work explores notions of embodied collapse, repair and empathy: interactions between pliable materials such as fibre, sunlight, molten and clay aim to awaken a connection between psyche (mind) and soma (body), through the imaginal realm where personal and collective mythologies collide.
In particular, the work attempts to create new lenses to look at the female body, while rejecting the known, pre-established and polarising structures already in place to understand bodies. In order to explore this in new ways and stimulate other intelligences, Emson operates so to activate a transitory space of experimentation, suspended beliefs and biomorphic states of transition. She continually moves between intimate, tactile repair work and sensing, forming and deciphering abstractions.
Her process and research are informed by her advanced training in Dreamwork at CCPE, a Masters in Psychodynamic Dance Movement Psychotherapy at Goldsmiths, Somatic Experiencing and Family Constellations. Alongside her art practice she works as a trauma therapist and assists Estelle Bingham’s womens groupwork.
Upcoming 2023: group show ‘Gothic Midsummer’ at Roman Road curated by Anna Souter
Current exhibitions: ‘Sublime Synthesis’ at Xenia, Hampshire UK curated by Fergus Wiltshire
Grants recently gained include: Arts Council funding for developing creative practice at ORME Project Space in Rome; Arts Council funding for developing creative practice at CASA in Oaxaca, Mexico.
Recent commissions include: Schweitzer Project with Six Gallery in Milan; a large installation at Conduit St with Paul Van Zyl (Human Rights lawyer for Desmund Tutu).
Recent residencies include: League of Stars in Thebes, Xenia Creative Centre in Hampshire, The Beekeepers Art Residency in the Algarve in Portugal, in collaboration with curator Mia Pfeifer and Cob Gallery London; The Land Art Road Trip USA with Gerson Zevi; Rozenblum Foundation in Buenos Aires and Arteles in Finland.
My works have been presented in a solo show Fibrosis with Gallery Nosco in New York. Other presentations of my work include: D.REM, a dream sensorium at The Freud Museum, Unit 1 Project Space in London curated by Tatiana Cheneviere, Art Night/Whitechapel Gallery, Penelope with Alteria Art, LambArts Gallery with curator Roya Sachs, ArtBarter at Art Dubai, The Cob Gallery, Rook and Raven Gallery in Fitzrovia, Alma Zevi in London, Leila Heller Gallery in New York, St Moritz Art Masters, Slyzmud Gallery in Buenos Aires, GriffinGallery, Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Art Licks at Museum of Contemporary Art, Peckham, ArtRio with Gallery Nosco, Fundacion Rozenblum in Argentina.
In the past decade, Emson’s work has also been acquired for some of the worlds most notable art collections.
Press, Publications & interviews
Artmap The art of dreaming doc Interview for 100 women artists #83 2018
FAD magazine Newcastlelondon Gaia Art Foundation w11stuido fashion 2017
Lamb Arts Short film by Logan Irvine Macdougal Art Dubai GianmatteoMalchiodi Blog 2016
Wide Walls, Material Identity Meer 2014
Being without walls ArtLicks Glen Stoker 2013
Horst and Edeltraut 2011
