Leah Jensen made her name as a ceramic artist, creating vessels with extraordinarily detailed, geometric surface finishes. In 2020 though, her life took a turn when she was diagnosed with brain cancer, having an operation to remove the tumour.
During her recovery she picked up a needle and thread and kept an embroidery record of everything that happened to her, her relationships and her emotions. The Brain Tumour Book was presented as an exhibition in April by gallery Cavaliero Finn at London's Fitzrovia Chapel. Artworks were on sale, with proceeds going to The Brain Tumour Charity.
In this episode, we discuss: discovering clay; creating her extraordinary patterns with the help of Renaissance art; being 'anti-digital'; making as a form of escapism; how collapsing while working in a bar led to a profound change in her life; discovering she had a brain tumour; picking up a needle and thread to document her experiences; why 'sewing is an act of emotional repair'; going through radiotherapy and chemotherapy; struggling with memory loss; relationships with her parents and partner; sewing with her own hair; and her return to clay.
Listen to the Material Matters Podcast with Grant GIbson here
