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
ABOUT
Janis Ridley studied at Newcastle upon Tyne School of Art and Design, where she developed an early interest in wax sculpture and photography. She gained a BA Hons in Fine Art from Exeter College of Art and an Arts Council award in 1983 for a solo show at Exe Gallery. .She developed creative teaching methods in drawing colour and sculpture . By the late 1990s she shifted fully to sculpture, later joining the Royal Society of Sculptors in 2002. Her public commissions include works for Exeter Cathedral, Stratford upon Avon, Exeter University and Kingscote Park,with international recognition in South Korea.Since 2010,her sculptures have been widely exhibited at major art fairs and galleries and feature in private collections worldwide.She was included in 50 Women sculptors ,2020, and has had recent solo exhibitions at Coombe gallery 2021 and Exeter Cathedral 2023. She works in a Round House Barn in Devon.
