Emma Gibbons

Emma Gibbons critiques addiction, consumerism, and excess with resin popsicle sculptures and opulence bottles of Chanel plenished with pills of glitter coloured sand and cake sprinkles.

Each pill is handmade by Gibbons, using pharmaceutical-grade pill capsules filled with resin and decorative embellishments, which she allows to cure for 24 hours. This time-consuming process produces impressive consequences.

Particularly her pill popsicles, the fruity spectrum of colours make them look as mouthwatering as the real thing. Yet underneath the smooth, glossy exterior, the flashy pills represent the uncomfortable realities of addiction. Born into a family of Cornish pirates and smugglers Emma developed an obsession with treasures & misdemeanours early on in life.

She creates show stopping artworks out of miniature hand-crafted components, often involving precious and curious materials. Emma boasts unrivalled experience in the art industry working on some of the most high profile exhibitions in the world, including seven years working for Damien Hirst.

“I’ve always made work that is really bright, colourful and uplifting, so that’s definitely a running theme in my work. A lot of my work is humorous, or tongue in cheek, and people love a laugh. I love that I get to make people smile. There’s something magical about that.

Pills mean totally different things to different people, which is another reason I love them. To one viewer they might mean addiction and substance misuse, to the next they symbolise wellness and vitality. I love that the viewer brings their own experiences to the pieces, whether that’s good, bad or interesting, and that means the interaction between viewer and the artwork is always totally unique.”