About
I am an artist, designer and teacher. My work includes ink drawings, printmaking and paper sculpture. I’m also an experienced teacher and teach art to children and adults.
Over the years my work has developed and been shaped by varied experiences, stages of life and periods of change.
I have enjoyed exploring paper as a medium in its own right, fascinated by the possibilities of crafting three-dimensional forms that could be sculpted and transformed – from low-relief illustrative posters to wearable art.
As an artists’ assistant I have revelled in the creative energy of their environments. When teaching, I find imaginative ways to encourage my students to observe the world with curiosity and create without fear of making mistakes.
Following a period of burnout and diagnosis of combined ADHD, I was encouraged to doodle to calm my mind as part of my recovery. What began as simple explorations of texture and pattern in my sketchbooks gradually evolved into intricate, tessellated compositions with a story to tell. I am now embracing the challenge of bringing extra depth and layers to these textures by combining the graphic qualities of my drawing with three-dimensional origami structures.
Michelle J BruceMy work
My current work explores the relationship between drawing, structure and hidden narrative. The drawings don’t immediately reveal themselves; they reward slow looking and unfold over time. Through intricate patterns and densely textured surfaces, I create images that invite the viewer to discover stories or scenes that gradually emerge from within the drawing itself.
As hidden stories began to emerge within the texture of my drawings, I realised I was returning to a childhood habit of people-watching. I loved imagining who people were, what they might be discussing and the relationships that connected them. Today, rather than observing strangers, who are probably glued to their mobile phones, I project that same curiosity onto sculptures and paintings. I imagine the figures stepping beyond the frame or plinth as living, breathing characters, caught in moments of conversation, tension, humour, or reflection. In my mind, they continue to interact not only with one another but also with the visitors who pause in front of them, becoming part of an unfolding narrative. Like a storyteller, I study gestures, glances, expressions, and body language, creating my own interpretations of the personalities and dynamics they suggest.
A recent series of work is inspired by the theatrical interactions of The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci, where emotion radiates outward from a single source, like a pebble dropped into still water. I am particularly drawn to moments of interaction, where a heavy breath, glance or gesture can ripple through a group and alter the atmosphere of the moment, revealing the subtle dynamics, tensions, and connections that shape our shared human experience.
I am now exploring ways of bringing together my drawing and paper sculpture, extending these hidden narratives beyond the page into three-dimensional forms that invite new ways of looking and discovering.
Education and Experience
It was while studying graphic design at art college that I developed my interest in paper as a medium. On graduating I realised my creative interests leaning towards fine art and after a short period working in London, I went back to university and completed an MA in Art History at Goldsmiths, University of London (formerly Goldsmiths’ College).
For the next few years I worked across the art and design sector at various galleries and design consultancies, including an internship at the Tate Gallery. I was then employed as archivist to Charles Saatchi at the Saatchi Gallery (1996-97), as assistant to Helen Chadwick for the Effluvia Exhibition at the Serpentine Gallery (1994) and Peter Gabriel’s EVE Project (1996) and to Cornelia Parker for the construction of the Tate Christmas Tree (1995). I also curated the George Rodger exhibition at the Zelda Cheatle Gallery (1994) and completed various research assignments for curators, collectors and art critics including William Feaver and Guy Brett.
In 2005, after a career break to care for my young family, I began a new career in primary education as a specialist SEND Teaching Assistant, developing expertise in supporting pupils with a wide range of learning needs. I completed my PGCE in 2011, taught across Key Stage 1 and 2. I also delivered CPD workshops with advice for art teachers.
Between 2020 and 2022, I took on an additional role as an Art Facilitator for Achieving for Children. This allowed me to use my subject knowledge and experience to support Art Subject Leads across the Kingston and Richmond boroughs.
Since 2022, I have worked as a specialist art teacher in the independent sector, where I encourage creativity, confidence and critical thinking while continuing to develop my own artistic practice.
Academic Achievements
Sep 2010 to Jun 2011
PGCE Primary Education, Roehampton University
Oct 1993 to Jul 1994
MA History of Art, Goldsmiths, University of London
Sep 1987 to Jul 1990
BA (Hons) Information Graphics, Nottingham Polytechnic
Sep 1986 to Jul 1987
Foundation Studies: Art and Design, Birmingham Polytechnic
Exhibitions
The Horton Summer Exhibition, 1-25 August 2026
– Winner: The Last Supper: When a Woman Speaks Up
– See Michelle interviewed at The Horton
Kew Studio Winter Exhibition, 6-8 December 2024