Sara’s Begun with Others series of paintings and installations – all on paper – integrate artwork collaboratively-created with marginalised or forgotten communities around the world.
The starting point of her studio practice is artwork created with workshop participants in NGOs, prisons, schools, universities, and so on. She follows a three-step process:
1. Collaborative Creation. Sara leads groups in drawing and painting on large rolls of paper.
2. Selection. Once the artwork is complete, participants choose their favourite sections, which Sara cuts out for them to keep as reminders of their collaboration.
3. Private Practice. In her studio, Sara then creates her own artwork using the leftover materials from the workshop.
SCROLL DOWN TO VIEW COLLECTIONS BEGUN BY A DIVERSITY OF GROUPS, AND TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HER PROCESS
Sara’s art-making process involves deconstructing and reconstructing through various techniques like cutting, tearing, stitching, painting, stencilling, rubbing, scratching, gluing, and layering. This gives each artwork new life, blending the elements together whilst also revealing the original creators’ contributions. Each piece becomes a palimpsest, reflecting her own experiences and those of the participants she has worked with – including genocide survivors, students of peace and conflict, school refusers, young offenders, people in prison, refugees and displaced persons, faith groups, language students, school and higher education students and tutors.
