Jenny Purrett
My practice centres on drawing and making in response to the natural world. It is something I do to connect myself to the world around me, rooting me to a place and moment in time. I see these my work (drawings, assemblages, constructions and installations) as collaborations, letting all of the elements involved (materials, weather, my surroundings, other people) work together, watching to see if, and where, the magic will happen.
Lived Experience
I settled in Northumberland in 2011 after a year-long residency with VARC (Visual Arts in Rural Communities), Highgreen , Northumberland.
BA Fine Art, Birmingham Polytechnic (1994), PGCE art education, Moray House Institute, Edinburgh (1998), MFA, Bath Spa University (2009)
Exhibitions, projects and residencies since 2015
2026 Losing Track, Holding Traces new work @ RSPB Geltsdale
2025 Losing Track, Holding Traces reworked @ Drywater Arts , Amble
2025 Full Circle- 25 Years of VARC Work by myself and Laura Fox included in the end of project exhibition.
2025 Losing Track, Holding Traces Exhibition with Jane Gower and Omi Pharncote, Gateshead Central Library Gallery
2024 Full Circle Residency at VARC arts, Northumberland.
2023 Nature as Witness Group drawing show, no format gallery, Deptford, London
2021 Aura 100 days A Numinous Line Group drawing exhibition at The Wall North Contemporary, Hexham
2019 Thoughtful Planet 3 Large wall drawing as part of a group show at Thought Foundation, Birtley
2018 Of the Earth Solo exhibition, Research Cases, The National Glass Centre, Sunderland
2017 Assembled Installation, Assembly House, Newcastle
2017 aa2a Artist in Residence, Sunderland University.
2016 Making Sense exhibition, Customs House, South Shields
2016 Making Sense Drawing project with Sight Service, South Shields
2015 Where is the line? Group show, The Granary Gallery, North Berwick
2015 Where is the line? Drawing residency at North Berwick Arts.
2015 North Group show, The World of Glass, St Helens
2015 Paper Group Show, Salisbury Arts Centre
2015 Exploring Drawing Collaborative drawing project working with Sangini women's group at VARC, Highgreen, Northumberland
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