Helen Conway
"My current work is inspired by urban street art and graffiti writing. If I am not in the studio, I am often traipsing the world, making companions stop, so I can photograph tagged walls and peeling post-ups. I lean precariously out of taxi windows to capture images of graffiti tags. Tracing the shapes and lines in city maps can occupy me for hours.
"I am fascinated by the stories of people’s lives and their cultures, with immigration and city decay and regeneration. Brick Lane, London, Trastevere, Rome and Kreuzberg, Berlin in particular have been rich sources of inspiration for my current graffiti-inspired art.
"In my latest work I piece or collage cloth bearing fragmented marks and partial text, making compositions and adding detail with spontaneity. I explore how language, fading memories and fractured communication affects our understanding and acceptance of others whose lives are different to ours or with whom we find ourselves in conflict.
"Much of my work deals with transition, boundaries and juxtaposition both visual and cultural."
