Camilla Emson’s (b. 1987) appropriation of unfamiliar tools and multidisciplinary practice calls forward her body as an intuitive storyteller.
Her new series Colour Maps is a continuation of her Fibrosis series, where she has explored sewing using an needle she found on residency in India.New Experiential Theory that relates to early life experiences inspires her work. It describes how memories are ‘woven into your body, like imprints in your nervous system.’ However the plastic nature of the nervous system allows for the development of new pathways throughout life.Colour Maps clearly depicts Emson’s unique process of creating new maps. She pulls, loops, knots and dangles loose threads as if she were practicing a strange surgery. Her act of reparation is in response to the careless bleach splatters that have burnt and weakened the fabric of the linen and erased its original brightness. This way she feels she can access and re-configure history.
Camilla is currently undertaking her 2nd year of an MA at Goldsmiths in Dance Movement Psychotherapy and has completed an MA in Fine Art at City and Guilds. She was invited to install a major installation piece “Life is Never Completely Sewn Up’ as part of the St Moritz Art Masters during the summer and will be exhibiting with Slyzmud Gallery in Buenos Aires next month. In recent years she performed as part of the Art Licks Weekend programme (2013) and at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park (2013).