Helen Grundy

Contemporary Artist

I am an object maker and collage artist. I make work from old photographs, packaging, used envelopes, postcards, magazines, office calculators and much much more. My pieces are hybrids of photography, collage and model making. I want my practice to be environmentally sustainable so I am drawn to collage as it is an art form that has recycling and repurposing at its core. I am excited by imagery that is surreal and explores and references pop culture, the mundane, bureaucracy, social care and the relationship humans have with the natural world. My works have a strong narrative quality and I use humour to explore difficult subject matter. My finished pieces are souvenirs from a world that I have invented. I have exhibited both nationally and internationally and have received funding from The Arts Council to develop my practice. I have works in both private and public collections.

Latest News

The Fourth Plinth for W4 – 2023 Vote now

CUT OUT Collage Festival & Studio

Becoming Monumental

FEARMAIL

FEARMAIL is an ongoing project that is inspired by my full time job as a manager of homeless hostels in Birmingham. I have spent the past decade supporting vulnerable people to improve their lives. I noticed that when someone moves into a hostel and gets back into the system, they generate a lot of letters from various government departments. The letters all come in window pane envelopes and they cause anxiety and fear for the recipient. Will my benefits be stopped? Is my hospital appointment going to be okay? What will happen when I go to court? How can I pay my debts when I have so little money? I have sat with hundreds of people and helped them open their letters. I started to collect the envelopes and started installing small collages inside the window panes. All of these works are made from envelopes that are donated to me and all of them are inspired by a conversation I had with the recipient.