Gemma Dunn

I am an artist from Wiltshire, UK. I create mostly handmade linocuts from my home studio in Salisbury.

Making art has always been a part of me. I spend a lot of time outdoors - growing things, foraging and wandering through the forest until I'm almost lost. I am drawn to tangled, delicate things and try to capture their messy beauty in my art. They remind me that beauty and mess can coexist, especially in relationships and in the human heart.

I became fascinated with relief printing when I came across several vintage Indian wood blocks at a wood fair near Brighton about 10 years ago. They were battered and I had no idea what to do with them, but they were so beautiful. I took some time to investigate how they would have been used and tried printing with them for myself. I quickly decided I wanted to create my own designs on fabric - I was doing a lot of sewing at the time. I had a vague recollection of linocut from school, so I bought a starter kit online and was totally hooked!