Sarah J Harper
Sarah J Harper is a multi-disciplinary artist.
working under the name
Harper Bizarre Art
Sarah is based in Plumstead in the London Borough of Greenwich, UK and all of her work is made locally. As a child, Sarah was often drawing or making crafts but as she grew older her love of art was taken over by the necessities of getting ‘a real job’ and a whole multitude of other experiences.
Coming to motherhood later in life coincided with her partner becoming more dependent on her due to a series of illnesses, so caring for her son and husband took over. It became clear that she needed some self-care and well-being outside of the family so she returned to college and started creating again, classes in mosaic, stained glass, ceramics, watercolours, and printmaking were completed over a number of years, and the importance of art in her life became one of her primary interests.
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Sarah’s work is inspired by many things, and her work can take a variety of mediums. Her art can be a form of protest, taking in political messaging for a kinder world by highlighting inequalities and unfairness. Sometimes her work is of an adult theme, using profanity as an outlet of frustration but also as a tool of whimsy and comedy, as can be seen in her many Sweary ranges of landscapes, animals, badges and Xmas decorations. Inspiration may also come from simply beautiful shapes in biology or nature, with a fondness for texture or colour. #
She also creates pieces that celebrate her local community, this can be seen in her range of ceramic hand painted Greenwich Unsung Heroic Venues, as well as the exclusive designs she has created for the shop. Sarah’s main passion lies in ceramic work, and her unique approach to techniques and themes is evident in the diversity of her pieces.
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Sarah’s artwork has been exhibited internationally, including being a part of successful exhibitions at the Saatchi Gallery, Tate Modern, and Tate Britain in London, and The Wien Museum in Austria. She was one of the selected artists in the 'Cash Is King' books, using banknotes as a form of protest art, as well as featuring in other hard copy and digital publications. Her work sometimes, but not exclusively, has a focus on using art as a form of activism.
She is a member of the Secret Society Of Super Villain Artists, an international group of artists that use their work to make a difference in the world while having a little fun doing it.
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