Emma Bentley Fox

Emma Bentley Fox
(she/her)

Emma Bentley Fox is an artist living and working in Leeds, ‘Mom’ with Party Mom Society, studio holder at Convention House (ESA), co-host of Social Art Network Leeds, and member of DISrupt.

“My practise spans from Visual Artist & Photographer, to Facilitator, Producer and Party Mom @partymomsociety.  Alongside my art practise, I work as a Programme Producer at East Street Arts.

I am interested in place-making and community building, and I see my work as both Party Mom and organiser/Producer, as extensions of my artistic practise, and a place for me to use my personal experiences of marginalisation, alongside continual learning and research, to create space and opportunities for others. Care and compassion are central to my practise, and values I try to embed in any and all of the work I do, whilst working with others, and also with myself. 

As a visual artist, I enjoy working across a range of medias, with kitsch objects and pop culture imagery, exploring ideas of taste, nostalgia, queerness and archiving. Other themes that run through my work include sexuality, gender, femininity, performative identities, Disability, healing and care. I like my work to be imbued with humour, playfulness and a deep respect for the references I’m drawing from, and people I’m working with. I often shoot on film, and my photography work is, intimate, joyful, surreal, and a way of documenting my experiences – particularly navigating the queer communities of Leeds, and exploring identity through portraiture. Archives, particularly forgotten, personal, familial, or on niche subjects, hold great interest for me. As an artist with experiences of chronic illness, discussions around Disability and access are increasingly becoming central to my understanding of both my own practise, and how I engage and work with others.”

Website: emmabfox.co.uk
Instagram: @emmabfox

Image description:

Emma is creating the base layer of a floor for a commission at The Art Hostel. The wooden floor is covered in confetti, party poppers, photos, postcards, notes, ticket subs and other ephemera. Emma is knelt down adding more pieces. There are a number of images and small mirrors on the wall behind her.

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