Artist Jenny Weston using her work to explore her health journey

It started early with making herself toys and ventured into creating original items of clothing and jewellery in order to look unfashionably fashionable.

She would paint designs on to T-shirts and pour bleach onto fabric and piece together jewellery to make a statement.

Born and bred in North Yorkshire, Jennifer studied at the Harrogate College of Arts – with a focus on performance art and fashion – in the 1980s.

Jenny’s creativity is a thread that runs through her working life. After trying her hand as a professional performance artist, script writer, and educator she is now a resident artist and jewellery maker at the Old Parcels Office Artspace at Scarborough Railway Station.

Her art practice highlights issues of social justice, feminism, and the personal experience of being a woman. She is drawn to creating objects as a vehicle to speak about radical disruption of harmful societal norms using narrative as part of her art activism practice.

Much of her exhibition work explores a darker comment about gender-based violence and misogyny and has been featured in national and international exhibitions as well as publications.

Talking about her work Jenny said “My awareness evolves within my personal experience, but also explores the feelings of all women, living within toxic patriarchal cultures and our collective efforts to heal from these wounds.

“These observations take the form of text combined with images and often within the work itself.”

Jenny’s current artwork explores her own health journey after being diagnosed with ovarian cancer last year.

“This is a really difficult time for me but working in my studio is helping me pull through. Using photography and mixed media I am documenting this very personal journey to raise awareness of cancer symptoms.”

Jenny is also still finding time to design and create jewellery. Her creations are made using gemstones, glass, and silver and designed for style as opposed to fashion and made to last.

She firmly believes that jewellery should leave a legacy and be passed from one generation to the next. "The chosen gemstones reflect not just the beauty of the stones but impacts energetically on the wearer,” she said.

Products are made from ethically sourced gemstones and silver purchased from companies holding their supply chains accountable with ethical trade policies.

They are packaged using recycled materials wherever possible. All hand-crafted fabric bags are made using excess fabric from the upholstering industry with reused fastening. Paper packing is sourced from suppliers using recycled paper.

Her work can be viewed and bought via her website, social media, and Old Parcel Office ppen studios events.

Website: Jenniferwestonuk.com

Facebook: Jennifer Weston UK

Twitter: Jennifer Weston UK Art