Hilary Vernon-Smith
Recalling memories of childhood.
After more than twenty five years working as Head Scenic Artist at the National Theatre in London, Vernon-Smith now makes work to share her own stories. She is currently exploring memories of childhood, including living with her Grandparents in a small terrace house in Tottenham, and the complex relationship between her mother and father (who she never met), through their letters of correspondence, which she uncovered after her mother's death.
In 2022, Vernon-Smith made a series of meticulously rendered drawings and prints portraying her life as a child, living with her Grandfather ("with one false leg, and a spare under the bed"), and her dressmaking Grandmother. Most recently, Vernon- Smith has been embroidering some of her father’s letters to her mother, onto delicate handkerchiefs, and building installations, sculptures and dolls house-like structures, often pierced with the red spikes of her mothers aura.
