Statement
For me, sculpture is a process of uncovering hidden ideas from deep within the self.The most compelling works often arise spontaneously ,small pieces that seem to materialise directly through my hands .This visceral,intuitive 'inthe flow' 'approach remains a defining strength of my practise .
Larger sculptures carry a different power. As they unfold,they bring clarity and depth to the pyschological intention, revealing themselves gradually in a process that is both grounding and expansive.
Wax is central to my work. Fluid ,soft and endlessly malleable,it is forgiving and recyclable, holding no memory of form. Its responsiveness allows me to contiunally shift proportions, creating new senses of scale and balence that open imaginative possibilities.
My influences are deeply embedded in tactile and psychological memory: from Monoan art and Italian Rennaissance masters, to Buddhist and Hindu sculpture of India and Far East, and to modern figures such as Giacometti , Bancusi , Moore Frink and Louise Bourgeois.
recuring themes include Family,Mother and Child, Figure and Horse ,Angelic Figures and architypal male and female forms.These works explore indidual identity and relaytionships- interconncted like feathers in abirds wing.My Man and Horse series,for instance ,reflects the intimate ,paradoxical bond of ease,toughness,vulnerability ,and enigma.
Big sculpture.
Making large sculpture is like plunging into deep water- a transformative,immersive journey where the physical and the intuitive meld into a powerful act of creation.
When you work with large amounts of materials the process becomes a conversation between body and matter.The process demands a willingness to be physically and emotionally vulnerable-an immersion that reshapes both the material and the maker.
Its as if each stage,and there are nine stages,connects more deeply to ones own strength celebrating the raw unbridled power of doing.
In this process, intuition is my indispensible guide. ,making large work means stepping into the unknown,
trusting that your instincts will navigate you through unchartered territory. Just as swimming in dep water requires letting go to feel the currents, so does working with large forms demands surrendering to the moment. This is an exploratory dialogue between ones inner voice and the tangible materials often revealing unexpected answers. It is both chalenging and empowering. The sculpture then reveals a form as both a physical presence and the fusion of movement, intuition,and discovery.
Biography
Janis Ridley studied at Newcastle upon Tyne School of Art and Design, where she first explored wax as a sculptural medium and developed an interest in photography . She went on to earn a BA[Hons] in Fine art from Exeter College of Art in 1976 ,taking a mid-course year in Switzerland to broaden her practise .
After graduating, she taught life drawing at Newcastle upon Tyne School of Art,followd by life drawing and painting in Exeter. In 1983 she was awarded and Arts Council grant for a solo exhibtion at Exe Gallery, the gallery of Exetr College of art.
Between 1995 and 1997 Ridley pioneered vide-conference teaching with BEON, an early online learning platform at the University of Exeter's School of Eduaction, where she also co-produced the film Colour and Movement , By 19998, she had transitioned from painting to sculpture.
Ridley was elected a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors in 2002. her public commissions in the UK include Millenioum Spirit of Youth [Topsham], Unfolding Love [Exeter Cathedral], Stargazer[Exeter University ],Messnger with Bird [Stratford upon Avon],Isness [KingscotePark, Gloucester}. Internationally ,her work Rugged Angel and 12 sculptures was acquired in 2017 sculptures as part of the sculpture collection at Bundang Memorial Park ,South Korea.
Her practise has been represented widely at major art fairs in London since 2010, as well as in Hong Kong and New York .Her sculptures are held in private collections across the UK, France the Ntherlands ,Germany, Hong Kong, and the USA.
Ridley has exhibited with leading galleries including Edgar Modern and Beaux Arts [Bath], Medici Gallery [London],Stour Gallery, Coombe Gallery [Dartmouth], Alan Kluckow Gallery,Moncrieff-Brey Gallery, Josie Eastwood Gallery, The garden Gallery [Hampshire], The Sculpture Park [Farnham],University of Exeter ,Otymys, Lympstone Manor and Nadia Waterfield Fine Art .
Her work is profile in 50 Women Sculptors ]2020] and she presnted a solo exhibition at Coombe gallery ,Dartmouth in 2021 and in Exeter Cathedral in 2023 .
