Sharon Snaylam
After her move to Bradford in 1987, Sharon regularly spends time walking the Yorkshire landscape, and in more recent years has followed long routes across landscapes over days or weeks. She has also walked on pathways in the Lake District, Scotland, Italy, and France, and the common experience of making a journey through a sometimes challenging landscape in each of these walks inspires her work on many different levels. Sometimes following a designated path that often has existed for centuries Sharon takes photographs and records her experiences in the form of a diary to recall particular moments in time.
Sharon works in mixed media and uses a range of materials including mud, found objects, mono-printing charcoal and inks. Her ceramic pieces also include mud collected during the walks as well as slips and oxides which are fired on to the final piece.
In April 2007 Sharon was diagnosed with breast cancer and her most recent work is an attempt to explore the memories of her experiences in the landscape, and relate these to her experience of cancer and the treatment she is currently receiving. For Sharon, the path continues to represent her life and her personal journey, which varies from different perspectives, distances and viewpoints.