Illustration and photography by Poppy Roberts

Illustration and photography

Artist statement: Poppy currently lives and works in the U.K.

In her experience of living in a body with degenerative disease Cystic Fibrosis, Poppy strove to transform these feelings into something tangible, perhaps even beautiful.

Poppy began her arts career in Illustration and design a decade ago. Since receiving the gift of a double lung transplant she began to favour more abstract and conceptual themes using phototherapy to confront a new transplant recipient identity.

"Art gave me a new way to exist in the world, to be present without my body I suppose. At a time when I knew death was not so far away my creative energy became elevated. It enabled me to face my disease as opposed to distracting myself from it. You could say I took the tyrant into my own hands and transformed it into art, that gave me a form of control."

Altered states of consciousness and the subjective experience of medical intervention are key themes for Poppy as an artist.

"My art helps me to understand myself in all states in unity. Sick/Healthy. Donor/Recipient. Conscious/Unconscious. Reliant/Independent. Artist/Nobody. Dead/Alive.”

Inspired by automatism, surrealism, actionism. Her most influential artists include; Antonin Artaud, Bob Flanagan, Ana Mendieta and the photographs of Arthur Tress. Literature is a direct influence for Poppy, Thomas De Quincey and Henri Michaux are among her favourites.

Poppy has sold work to private collectors and worked on commission basis in the U.K. since 2013. In 2016 she won the Helen Barrett award for Creative entrepreneurs and was selected for a U.K touring exhibition "Life in the face of Death" in 2017.

Find out more about Poppy's work on her website at PoppyRobertsArt.com

Illustration and photography by Poppy Roberts

Illustration and photography

Artist statement: Poppy currently lives and works in the U.K.

In her experience of living in a body with degenerative disease Cystic Fibrosis, Poppy strove to transform these feelings into something tangible, perhaps even beautiful.

Poppy began her arts career in Illustration and design a decade ago. Since receiving the gift of a double lung transplant she began to favour more abstract and conceptual themes using phototherapy to confront a new transplant recipient identity.

"Art gave me a new way to exist in the world, to be present without my body I suppose. At a time when I knew death was not so far away my creative energy became elevated. It enabled me to face my disease as opposed to distracting myself from it. You could say I took the tyrant into my own hands and transformed it into art, that gave me a form of control."

Altered states of consciousness and the subjective experience of medical intervention are key themes for Poppy as an artist.

"My art helps me to understand myself in all states in unity. Sick/Healthy. Donor/Recipient. Conscious/Unconscious. Reliant/Independent. Artist/Nobody. Dead/Alive.”

Inspired by automatism, surrealism, actionism. Her most influential artists include; Antonin Artaud, Bob Flanagan, Ana Mendieta and the photographs of Arthur Tress. Literature is a direct influence for Poppy, Thomas De Quincey and Henri Michaux are among her favourites.

Poppy has sold work to private collectors and worked on commission basis in the U.K. since 2013. In 2016 she won the Helen Barrett award for Creative entrepreneurs and was selected for a U.K touring exhibition "Life in the face of Death" in 2017.

Find out more about Poppy's work on her website at PoppyRobertsArt.com