Art on a Postcard International Women’s Day Auction - Curated by Louise Fitzjohn

About

Chantal Powell lives and works in West Dorset , UK 

Chantal Powell's work is made in response to her personal journey into understanding the symbolic language of the unconscious A PhD in social psychology and an ongoing study of Jungian theory and inner alchemy inform her practice. 

Over recent years she has been researching first hand the imagery in alchemical manuscripts and alchemists’ notebooks from the 15th and 16th century. Combining symbols from these sources alongside those from mythology and personal inner work she makes sculptures, prints and collages that point to the alchemical process as a metaphor for the transformation of Self.  Drawing upon archetypal motifs such as "the vessel", and "the night sea journey"  she brings awareness to the importance of energy filled symbols to connect us to a world beyond the rational, that of the mysterious collective unconscious. ​

Chantal is also the founder of the residency program Hogchester Arts in West Dorset and hosts the Jungian online book club and speaker program "The Red Book Club". She presents illustrated talks and workshops on psychological alchemy from an artist's perspective and hosts courses with key educators in the field of Jungian psychology. She has co-curated exhibitions at Arusha Gallery in Bruton, The LightBox Museum in Woking, and Hogchester Arts in West Dorset. 
 

Education 

PhD Psychology 
 

Select Exhibitions/Awards 

Between Dog and Wolf  - Parlour, London, UK, 2022 

Conjure (co-curated by Chantal Powell) - Arusha Gallery, The Silk Barn, Bruton, UK, 2022 

Post Totem  – OHSH Projects,  London, UK, 2022 

CHORUS - Arusha Gallery, Edinburgh, UK, 2022 

A Strange Kind of Knowing (curated Olivia Penrose Punnett) – Arusha Gallery, London, and Haarlem Artspace, Wirksworth, UK, 2021-22 

Night Shaking with the Ingram Collection (curated by Chantal Powell & Dean Melbourne with The Ingram Collection of British Modern Art) – The Lightbox Museum, Woking, UK, 2021 

Green Seeds from Dark Earth (solo show) – Haarlem Artspace, Wirksworth, UK, 2020 

Darkness at Noon  (curated by Ruth Calland for Contemporary British Painting) – APT Gallery, London, UK, 2021 

Backyard Sculpture – (curated by Gall & Gates and Domo Baal) – DomoBaal Gallery, London, UK, 2019

The Opening Of The Egg  (two person show with Kirsty Whiten) –  Arusha Gallery, Edingburgh, UK, 2019 

​As The Crow Flies – Bo Lee Gallery, UK, 2018 

Statement about AOAP Submitted Artworks 

These works contain ongoing symbols from my practice referencing alchemical processes and inner transformation.  

Alchemy frequently references hatching of eggs and serpents. There is also the well known image of the cosmos depicted as a serpent hatching from, or entwined round an egg. 

“𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘹𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘪𝘳𝘤𝘭𝘦, 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘦𝘨𝘨. 

𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘰 𝘣𝘦𝘨𝘢𝘯 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘸𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘳 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘭 𝘸𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 

- 𝘌𝘨𝘺𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘢𝘯 𝘊𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘪𝘯 𝘛𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝟽𝟷𝟺 

The serpent is often associated with our primordial, instinctive nature and as a guide to the unconscious. The egg speaks of creative potential. The Egyptian sun disc is a symbol of divinity and a circle in general is one of wholeness. 

You must not reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell or exploit any works. In doing so, you endanger our relationships with artists, and directly jeopardise the charitable work we do. Anyone found doing so will be subject to legal action.