“My influences are rooted in the quiet intelligence of the natural world and a deep curiosity for Matière – the language of materials themselves. I’m drawn to the ephemeral: to gently gathering what has been lost, shed, or overlooked, especially organic matter, and tenderly saving these fragments as an act of care. There is poetry for me in this gesture – a small preservation of what might otherwise vanish. Surrealism also threads through the work, opening space for the subconscious, imagination and the uncanny.” The artist told The Wick. “I’m very interested in the links between food, art and agriculture, I see these areas as overlapping and responsive – the gallery I believe shouldn’t, feel like a compartmentalised space.”

The artist cites a recent acquisition by the Fitzwilliam Museum as among her proudest accomplishments to date – made possible by the “generous donation of Brian Kennedy and Peter Ting, through their new foundation – KENNEDYTING.” “From her beginnings at the Sarabande Foundation to exhibiting internationally with Gallery FUMI, Emma Witter’s journey reflects remarkable determination. With her graduation from the Royal College of Art just months away, it is a pleasure to support and champion such a promising artist.” Peter Ting says.

Brian Kennedy recalled that the first time he met Emma “while she was still at Sarabande and was immediately struck by her ambition, focus, and singular vision. That determination to follow her own path has sometimes made her work difficult to place within the conventional art, craft, and design landscape, yet she has carved out a space that intersects all three, developing a body of work that is eerily beautiful and mesmerising. Emma works with materials that are often discarded, transforming them into sculptural objects that are both provocative and poetic — objects that carry a haunting, surreal beauty and a quietly magical presence.”

Kennedy added that: “It has been a joy to watch her practice mature, and a privilege to support her along the way. Earlier this year it was particularly rewarding to place two works from our collection in their new permanent home at the Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge — a recognition I feel her work richly deserves.”

Works by Witter can be seen this month in Seoul at Here Comes Spring, a group exhibition at a.p.a.p art space, curated by YuKyoung An. In April, she is included in Materials of Joy Group exhibition at Galerie 56, Tribeca NY, with Gallery FUMI.