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Internationally renowned woodturner and sculptor Joey Richardson is widely regarded for her delicate pierced and richly hued wood forms. Born in Lincolnshire, she grew up in the heart of Twigmoor Woods on a small farm. Here, the magnificent trees subliminally rooted within her a deep love for the woodland and she began turning and carving reclaimed local timber.

Studying for an MA in Fine Art (University of Lincoln 2018) augmented her craft skills with a theoretical depth. Joey's most recent filigree work takes the form of a full-sized screen comprising of 25 large, pierced, detailed wooden panels, depicting poignant life events. Inspired by this artwork, Joey is now producing unique, ephemerally embossed prints, which bridge the gap between traditional and contemporary wood-cut processes.

There is often an autobiographical element in her work, which has strong links to the history of the place and the origin of material. Joey’s practice investigates the emotional and symbiotic relationship humans have with trees. She often incorporates mixed media, transposing the material to add another layer of conceptual reasoning.

Joey's sculptures are held in numerous permanent and private collections. Inspiring others, she lectures and demonstrates her techniques globally, and has been awarded the prestigious QEST Award of Excellence (2015) as well as being made a Court Assistant of the Turners Company (2018).

Like most people, Joey has found lockdown quite challenging, as she explains: "All my family are either on the front line or key workers, so trying to support everyone alongside keeping elderly relatives safe hasn't been easy. Creating has been my therapy, my escapism. During this pandemic all my exhibitions, classes and demonstrations have been cancelled, so I've taken the opportunity to experiment with new ideas and techniques. I'm very much looking forward to exhibiting my new work at Wizardry in Wood 2021." 
 
In between lockdowns, Joey converted the sitting room in the barn annex of her house into a temporary gallery. Working with fellow artists Darren Neave, who she met on the recent MA in Fine Art course at Lincoln University, and Sarah Faulding, a friend and colleague, they presented their first exhibition ‘Refuse to Refuse’. This exhibition was so successful that they've now launched their own artists-led collaborative gallery, 'Gallery Gallivant'.
The aim of the gallery is to promote local Lincolnshire artists and their work while providing the general public with a safe and unique opportunity to view and buy art in various locations across the county.

To find out more about Joey and her work, click here. 

Taking place from Wednesday 13 to Saturday 16 October, Wizardry in Wood 2021 is an event not to be missed. Tickets are now available via Eventbrite.