Jessica Ibbotson, Set Design

Eclectic artist Jessica Ibbotson displays talent for many things, like languages and music. However, it’s her particular talent for art and design that makes her stand out.

After A-levels in ‘history’ and ‘arts’ Jessica enrolled in courses at the UCL and Slade School Of Art.
She then moved to Sienna, Italy, for two years to study opera - something that later on would come in handy in her work for set design. She also played mandolin and sang in the Florence Mandolin Orchestra.

Back in the UK, Jessica began to run a theatre workshop based on ‘Under Milk Wood’. However, dabbling a bit in this and a bit in that ultimately turned out to be the career equivalent of a road to nowhere and Jessica finally decided to actively pursue her most obvious talent: that of being a visual artist and sculptor!

While she displays great imagination as far as her graphic work goes, Jessica really comes into her own with her oil paintings and sculptures. Of her naturalistic oil paintings (the one pictured is perfect for a show about playwright Samuel Beckett!), the artist says, “I love painting portraits because I just love people… the energy they give off and the way they fit into the world.”
Equally in demand are her clay sculptures, often produced by creating a plaster cast first. Just like her paintings, the sculptures are particularly suited for theatrical set designs and Jessica has already bagged several commissions for the fringe circuit – working from her studio in Camberwell, South London.

Find out more about Jessica Ibbotson’s work on www.jessicaibbotson.com