Alice Rorrison is a multidisciplinary artist based in South London, whose current practice focuses on how improvisational art can impar a sense of freedom to the practitioner. Informed by theories of material semiotics, the materials they work with are a reflection of the complexities that free and form their identity. Characters influenced by Rorrison's fantastical interpretations of the mundane appear across disciplines; in woven sticks, etchings, paintings, and more.
My practice is rooted in intersectional feminism and material semiotics. In my art I explore and reflect on the complexities of gender non-conformity, personal identity, and emotional alienation; through both my content and chosen medium. In a refusal to be anchored to any fixed identity, my practice is shaped by a sense of detachment from conventional expectations which reveals and reflects personal experiences of internal, physical, and neglected battles with social categories.
In conjunction to the central theme of enquiry into non-conformity in my work is additionally rooted material-led exploration. Sometimes my work will lean more to the semiotic, sometimes more to the material. I see material-led exploration as interconnected with theories of improvisation, which find that improvisational art can facilitate a psychological function of imparting a sense of freedom to the practitioner. Whether I am weaving sticks, piecing a quilt, or etching a plate, the materials I work with are a reflection of the complexities that free and form my identity. Hence, working across multiple mediums simultaneously serves as a metaphor for the diverse influences that inform my thinking, while also reflecting the interconnected nature of the layered culture I live in.
My practice challenges traditional boundaries between fine art and craft, I am continually inspired by Ferren Gipson’s Women’s Work: From Feminine Art to Feminist Arts and Miriam Schapiro. I also draws inspiration from the theoretical frameworks of intersectional feminist theorists and writers, such as Kimberle Crenshaw and Judith Butler. Additionally, I am inspired by Surrealist storytelling narratives, I merge autobiography with fiction and ritual to blend reality with imagination. In blurring these boundaries my practice becomes a space where fluid identity and material interconnectedness are embraced as a reflection of non-conformity.
graduating 2025 BA (Hons) Fine Art: Painting, University of the Arts London.
2021 Foundation Studies in Art, Design and Media, Buckinghamshire New University.
Distinction