Kirsty Mitchell is a British fine art photographer and multi-faceted artist who draws on her past careers in fashion design and costume making, to produce images of beguiling dream-like worlds. Her work is entirely real, taking months to meticulously hand make the costumes, props and sets.
Kirsty began her higher education at the age of 16 studying fine art, photography and history of art. At 19 she specialised in ‘Costume for Performance’ at the London College of Fashion, gaining a Higher National Diploma with Distinction. Kirsty went on to train at Ravensbourne College of Art for a further 3 years achieving a First Class Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honours in fashion design and textiles . During this time she interned at the studios of the British avant garde designers Alexander McQueen (1999 – 2000) and Hussein Chalayan (2000-2001), she graduated in 2001 at the age of 25.
Kirsty spent the next decade working as a fashion designer, specialising in surface decoration and fabric manipulation, learning in depth the crafts of beading and embroidery whilst spending time in India and China. During this period at the age of 32, Kirsty rediscovered her passion for photography and began a new and deeply emotional connection with the medium throughout the treatment of her mother’s terminal cancer in 2008.
“I have walked on snow covered in flowers, stood in lakes at sunset, painted trees, made smoking umbrellas and giant wigs from stolen flowers….. My eyes are finally open, and no matter how sad the origin of it all was, I will always cherish the fact that this small and precious awakening has happened.”
Wonderland
Following the tragic loss of her mother, Kirsty immersed herself deeper into photography to help deal with her overwhelming grief, and in the summer of 2009 embarked on her now revered 5 year series entitled ‘Wonderland’. She describes the project as a therapy, an alternative existence filled with fantasy, sadness and longing; inspired by the faded memories of the books her mother Maureen had read to her as a child, imbued with the pain of her adult grief. Over time it evolved into an autobiographical journey, where the protagonist Katie mirrored Kirsty’s emotional state in the real world. The scenes are entirely real, true scale and took months for Kirsty to hand make all the costumes and props, which were then assembled out in the English landscape.
Wonderland
Following the tragic loss of her mother, Kirsty immersed herself deeper into photography to help deal with her overwhelming grief, and in the summer of 2009 embarked on her now revered 5 year series entitled ‘Wonderland’. She describes the project as a therapy, an alternative existence filled with fantasy, sadness and longing; inspired by the faded memories of the books her mother Maureen had read to her as a child, imbued with the pain of her adult grief. Over time it evolved into an autobiographical journey, where the protagonist Katie mirrored Kirsty’s emotional state in the real world. The scenes are entirely real, true scale and took months for Kirsty to hand make all the costumes and props, which were then assembled out in the English landscape.
As the series grew, it developed a global fan base of over 450,000 followers online, resulting in the photographs achieving a viral status and extensive international media coverage. The acclaim for her work and escalating demands of the project led Kirsty to finally leave her fashion career behind at the end of 2011, to commit her future to the completion of the collection and producing the Wonderland book.
As the series grew, it developed a global fan base of over 450,000 followers online, resulting in the photographs achieving a viral status and extensive international media coverage. The acclaim for her work and escalating demands of the project led Kirsty to finally leave her fashion career behind at the end of 2011, to commit her future to the completion of the collection and producing the Wonderland book.
The Wonderland Book
In 2015 despite a number of offers from major publishers, Kirsty decided to launch her own Kickstarter campaign to self publish the Wonderland book in collaboration with renowned British book designer Stuart Smith. The project was launched on September 9th, 2015 and has since become the most funded photobook campaign in crowdfunding history, a title it still holds to this day. It closed at almost 500% funded – a total of £334k, with backers from all over the world supporting the book.
The Wonderland Book
In 2015 despite a number of offers from major publishers, Kirsty decided to launch her own Kickstarter campaign to self publish the Wonderland book in collaboration with renowned British book designer Stuart Smith.
The project was launched on September 9th, 2015 and has since become the most funded photobook campaign in crowdfunding history, a title it still holds to this day. It closed at almost 500% funded – a total of £334k, with backers from all over the world supporting the book. The success of the campaign enabled Kirsty to create the book she had always dreamt of for her mother, made from the highest quality materials, printed in Italy at one of the most best book factories in the world.
The success of the campaign enabled Kirsty to create the book she had always dreamt of for her mother, made from the highest quality materials, printed in Italy at one of the most best book factories in the world. The resulting huge volume contained over 640 photographs, featuring all 74 pieces in the Wonderland collection, as well as extensive behind the scenes imagery and costume galleries of the pieces made by Kirsty. Most importantly for her, alongside the photographs, the book contained the deeply personal journal written by Kirsty throughout the duration of Wonderland, which documents the creation and meaning of the works, as well as her emotional journey through grief.
 The resulting huge volume contained over 640 photographs, featuring all 74 pieces in the Wonderland collection, as well as extensive behind the scenes imagery from the shoots and costume galleries of the pieces made by Kirsty. Most importantly for her, alongside the photographs, the book contained the deeply personal journal written by Kirsty throughout the duration of Wonderland, which documents the creation and meaning of the works, as well as her emotional journey through grief.
The First Edition sold out almost immediately and so, due to overwhelming public demand a Second Edition of the Wonderland book was published in December 2016. In the same year the Limited Edition box set of the First Edition was also awarded an honourable mention in the Professional Fine Art Book category at the 2016 annual International Photography Awards. The competition is judged by some of the most important gallerists and art critics in contemporary photography today. The book has since continued its extraordinary success with the Third Edition released in December 2021. This edition has most recently won Silver for the ‘Fine Art Book – Professional category’ at Budapest International Foto Awards 2022.
The First Edition sold out almost immediately and so, due to overwhelming public demand a Second Edition of the Wonderland book was published in December 2016 . In the same year the Limited Edition box set of the First Edition was also awarded an honourable mention in the Professional Fine Art Book category at the 2016 annual International Photography Awards. The competition is judged by some of the most important gallerists and art critics in contemporary photography today. The book has since continued its extraordinary success with the Third Edition released in December 2021. This edition has most recently won Silver for the ‘Fine Art Book – Professional category’ at Budapest International Foto Awards 2022.
Cancer & ‘Quiescence’
Cancer & ‘Quiescence’
In September 2016, whilst in Italy printing the Second Edition of the Wonderland book, Kirsty found a lump in her breast and was later diagnosed with cancer; her son was just 8 months old at the time.
Mitchell describes the years that followed as the darkest in her life, going through surgery, radiotherapy and then entering into 5 gruelling years of hormone treatment and its subsequent side effects. During this period Kirsty began slowly planning a new series entitled ‘Quiescence’ as way to process her experiences. The word Quiescence refers to a period of dormancy, a stillness, which is affectively how Kirsty describes what had happened to her career and life since her diagnosis. The term is used in human biology to describe cells that cease activity, yet have the ability to return to life with the right stimuli, which in this case for Kirsty, was art.
Inspired by the artist’s personal life between 2015 – 2017 the project will be split into 3 chapters, based on Kirsty’s pregnancy, the creation of life in the womb, and then switches abruptly to cancer and her eventual recovery. Just like Wonderland, it will be translated into a fantastical tale, but based on real events.
Kirsty is now 7 years clear of her cancer and is at last off all treatment. She lives and works alongside her husband Matthew who’s role has evolved greatly into becoming the producer of ‘Quiescence’ with Kirsty as its director. Together they live in the English countryside with their young son Finch.
In September 2016, whilst in Italy printing the Second Edition of the Wonderland book, Kirsty found a lump in her breast and was later diagnosed with cancer; her son was just 8 months old at the time.
Mitchell describes the years that followed as the darkest in her life, going through surgery, radiotherapy and then entering into 5 gruelling years of hormone treatment and its subsequent side effects. During this period Kirsty began slowly planning a new series entitled ‘Quiescence’ as way to process her experiences. The word Quiescence refers to a period of dormancy, a stillness, which is affectively how Kirsty describes what had happened to her career and life since her diagnosis. The term is used in human biology to describe cells that cease activity, yet have the ability to return to life with the right stimuli, which in this case for Kirsty, was art.
Inspired by the artist’s personal life between 2015 – 2017 the project will be split into 3 chapters, based on Kirsty’s pregnancy, the creation of life in the womb, and then switches abruptly to cancer and her eventual recovery. Just like Wonderland, it will be translated into a fantastical tale, but based on real events.
Kirsty is now 7 years clear of her cancer and is at last off all treatment. She lives and works alongside her husband Matthew who’s role has evolved greatly into becoming the producer of ‘Quiescence’ with Kirsty as its director. Together they live in the English countryside with their young son Finch.
Grief
“Grief is a subject I have always felt compelled to discuss publicly, and try to help normalise through my work and writing. Over the years I have been greatly humbled by the stories from visitors to the Wonderland shows or owners of the book, who have used it as a tool to help process their emotions when they have felt overwhelmed and unable to express the depths of their loss. This transparency and dialogue about grief remains just as important and present in my life now, as it did in the first few years after losing my mother. I hope that in sharing my own struggles it will help others know they are not alone, and that losing someone you love is a journey we all need to talk about more.”
“For seven months I had fallen apart, my body had raged against me to the point that I shook on my way to work and I cried in public everywhere I went. It is true to say that I had never felt so utterly out of control, hopeless and lost."
(Extract from personal journal )
Artist Interviews
Awards & Accolades
Budapest International Foto Awards – Silver for the Fine Art Book Award – Professional category 2022
ND Photography Awards – ‘Wonderland’ – 3rd Place in Professional Fine Art: Conceptual category 2022
ND Photography Awards – ‘Minna’Â – Honourable Mention : Professional Portraiture category 2022
International Photography Awards -‘Honourable Mention’ Fine Art Book Category 2016
Nikon UK Ambassador for Fine Art 2013 – 2016
Kickstarter Most Funded Photobook / Photography campaign ever – the Wonderland Book raised £334k in 28 days – 2015
Grand Prize Winner of the Visual Storytelling, Fictional Narrative Award – LensCulture 2014
London International Creative Competition 2014 – Award Winning Finalist – Professional Photography category
International Photography Awards 2014 – ‘Honorable Mention’ Fine Art Portraiture Category
International Photography Awards 2013 -‘Honorable Mention’ Fine Art Category
Winner of Best Conceptual Photographer 2012 – Framed Awards
London International Creative Competition 2012 – ‘Honourable Mention’ Photography – Professional category
Winner of Regent Street Queens Jubilee award June 2012
Finalist for Exposure photography award Jan 2012
Finalist for One Life Photography award Oct 2011
Finalist for One Life Photography award Jan 2011
Galleries
UpOnWalls
LÃ¥nggatan 2
54430 Hjo
Sweden
+46703757787
www.uponwalls.com
Tres Hombres Art
Tylöhusvägen 28
302 73 Halmstad
Sweden
+46 (0)733-60 06 69
www.treshombresart.com
Picture This Gallery
St.Paulsgatan 29
118 48 Stockholm
Sweden
+46 (0)736549272
www.picturethis.art
Coe and Co Gallery
217 Royal Poinciana Way
Palm Beach, Florida
US
508-680-4143
www.coeandcogallery.com
UpOnWalls
LÃ¥nggatan 2
54430 Hjo
Sweden
+46703757787
www.uponwalls.com
Tres Hombres Art
Tylöhusvägen 28
302 73 Halmstad
Sweden
+46 (0)733-60 06 69
www.treshombresart.com
Picture This Gallery
St.Paulsgatan 29
118 48 Stockholm
Sweden
+46 (0)736549272
www.picturethis.art
Coe and Co Gallery
217 Royal Poinciana Way
Palm Beach, Florida
US
508-680-4143
www.coeandcogallery.com