JEMIMA SARA

Jemima Sara (b.1997) merges diaristic texts with the figurative - incorporating everyday life and freedom of expression into her work. Jemima’s formal training in BA Puppetry: Performance & Design at The Royal Central School of Speech and Drama (graduating in 2018) followed by a MA in Fine Art: Drawing at Camberwell (graduating in 2021) has enabled her work to embody the interplay between text, figurative paintings and performative installations. In November 2024, Jemima Sara was recognised as a finalist for the Ingram Prize.

The drawings and paintings Jemima creates are journal-like entries, they show the daily tumultuous experience of the mundane existence, but also delve deep into the subconscious and conscious with authenticity. Each work is a cathartic personal exploration, inviting audiences to decode the intricate layers of meaning embedded within.

On her canvases and within her drawings, figures or women tend to appear with martini glasses. Jemima odes these figures to be her 'alter egos' or 'martini ladies'. When Jemima first started drawing she would use these 'martini ladies' as her voice. "The naked ladies vulnerably get everything out on the table, physically and emotionally, and the martini glass - well, in my experience with the right attitude and martini glass you could do anything".

Every work is like a secret code, inside joke or unfiltered diary entry waiting to be deciphered. She has turned "work-in progress" into a genre. The works oscillate between bold declarations and intimate reflections. In her larger works, scale plays a significant role, enveloping the viewer and transforming the space around them. She draws and writes with black ink openly and freely on large pieces of paper. “The words tend to come without hesitation, just nuggets of random thoughts - even the thoughts I don’t want to think tend to pour onto the paper or canvas”.

In her recent solo exhibitions, such as 'SEE WHAT LOVE' 2024, ‘The Toilet’ 2023, 'I’VE LOST MY FAITH IN THIS CRAP' 2022 and 'My Mind is a Toilet' 2021 she transforms the mundane into a stage for self-exploration and vulnerability, crafting an environment where discomfort and comfort coexist. Scraps of humour provide some relief from the discomfort or awkwardness they may impose.

Currently residing and working in South East London, Jemima's commitment to experimentation and interaction continues to thrive through her evolving body of work. With a unique ability she challenges viewers to engage not just with the art itself, but with their own interpretations.

"If you put all your daily thoughts onto a canvas - what would you tell the world.... Would we all have the same internal dialogue?" Through her art, Jemima Sara invites us to reflect on the layers of our own experiences, turning the act of creation into a journey of discovery.

As well as being a finalist for the Ingram Prize, Jemima has also been the artist in residence for Print Club London in 2023, and a recipient of the Creative Business Accelerator Award in 2021-22. In June 2022, Jemima gave a talk on ‘Using Humour within Art’ at Central St Martins, University of Arts London. Between 2022-23 Jemima Sara became known for her work surrounding the toilet which has been described as ‘quintessential to her practice,’ (Stir World), often utilising text and design to serve her concept and enhance visitor interaction. ‘Breaking traditions’ (Stir world), and ‘making meaning from the ‘nitty-gritty’’ (Create Magazine).

Portrait image credit: Oliver Goodrich