Emily Bottomer

Can you describe your creative practice 

I am a working-class British artist currently based in Derby, UK. I create abstract drawings, paintings and installations that explore labour, hierarchies and ideas of abjection. 

 

Tell us about your journey to where you are today, what experiences inspired or helped you?

I was born and raised in Derby, where from a young age I developed a love for the arts. I was always drawing and crafting as a child, and when I left school I decided to take the leap into studying art full-time at Nottingham College.  

I then went on to study a BA in Fine Art at Derby University, where I developed my own unique visual language and began to form and explore ideas around womanhood, class and dirt. I was helped enormously by the incredible staff at Derby University, who always kept me inspired by introducing me to some of my now-favourite artists, like Mark Rothko, Richard Serra and Tracey Emin, as well as key philosophical ideas and authors such as Albert Camus, Mary Douglas and Antonio Gramsci.  

After graduating, I worked in the East Midlands as an artist, working with Artcore Gallery, Derby Cathedral and No Jobs in the Arts. Then in 2023, I was offered a scholarship to study an MA in Fine Art at Central Saint Martins in London.  

Living and studying in London was an absolute privilege. I met some incredible people and got to tick off some artworks from my art bucket list, including Richard Serra’s drawings, Richard Wilson’s 20:50 and Louise Bourgeois’ Maman, to name but a few! 

Living in London and studying at a prestigious institution did, however, open my eyes to the severity of class disparity within the arts. This has further informed my work and made me passionate about arts accessibility.  

Today, I am grateful to be working back in the East Midlands and exploring my creative practice at Banks Mill Studios. 

 

What University did you graduate from?  What course did you study?

Derby University BA (Hons) Fine Art (2021), and UAL Central Saint Martens MA Fine Art (2025).   

How did the University of Derby services support your business (business support programmes/workshops/exhibition opportunities etc)? 

During and after my BA, I had multiple opportunities to take part in exhibitions. Being based at Banks Mill also gives me further opportunities to take part in exhibitions, open studios and events that may help me to sell my work and build my audience.   

 

What UoD networks did you find useful during your studies and post graduation, if any?   

Unfortunately, my time at Derby University was impacted by the pandemic, however the Fine Art team at derby uni ensured that we still had a support network and community.   

 

How do you think being based at Banks Mill will help your creative practice? 

Being based at Banks Mill has given me the space required to further explore my practice so that I can begin working towards exhibitions and fairs to create a sustainable practice. It’s also expanded my creative community and I’m excited to make new connections and friends!   

What other experiences have you had that are relevant to what you’re doing now? 

During my MA, I took part in the ‘Teaching and Practice’ elective project, where I gained experience teaching on the BA Fine Art programme at CSM. I developed a love for teaching, and I hope that one day this is a career path that I can explore alongside my creative practice.   

 

What are you working on in the studio now? 

At the moment in the studio, I’m working on a new body of abstract paintings and drawings exploring who gets remembered as a hero. I’m using classical myths and storytelling, including figures like Sisyphus, Penelope and Ariadne, as starting points to think about labour, endurance and invisibility in relation to working-class identity and womanhood. I’m really interested in how the physical, repetitive process of making the work can embody these ideas too. I’m hoping to develop the project for exhibitions, as well as creating a series of limited editions from the work. 

 

Can you tell us a bit about your work/techniques or how long a piece takes to complete? 

My work is mainly made up of large-scale abstract paintings and drawings, using materials like acrylic paint, charcoal and graphite. I work quite physically and experimentally, often building up layers of marks through repetition, automatism and prolonged mark-making. I’m interested in letting the materials and the process guide the work rather than having everything planned out beforehand. A lot of the pieces are very labour-intensive and can take anywhere from several days to several weeks to make, depending on their scale and complexity. Some works involve repeating the same gesture or mark thousands of times, so the physical act of making becomes an important part of the work itself. I often work back into pieces, adding and removing layers until they reach a point where they feel resolved.  I also make larger, more sculptural works and installations, where paintings and drawings can extend into the space and interact with the architecture around them. These pieces can take considerably longer to develop because they involve not only making the individual works, but also thinking about how they come together as an environment for the viewer. 

 

What are your plans for the next 12 months? 

Over the next twelve months, my main focus is to continue developing my current body of work and growing as a professional artist. I’m also looking forward to learning more about the business side of being an artist, from applying for funding and exhibition opportunities to developing new ways of sharing and selling my work, as I gradually move towards becoming self-employed. I want to make the most of the Banks Mill community and the services that Derby University has to offer, while building a sustainable creative practice and making connections with other artists and creative businesses. It’s an exciting stage for me, as I’m starting to think not just about making the work, but about how I can build a long-term career around it.