Meet Jessica Swift
Bradford-based artist Jess shares her journey to Chemnitz, European Capital of Culture 2025, for the Makers United festival.
Published: August 30, 2024
Author: Jessica Swift
Hi, I’m Jess.
I’m a 24-year-old contemporary sculptor and abstract painter from Idle, Bradford.
My creative process involves leaving marks, dents, brushstrokes, fingerprints and highlighting layers. By seeing how my work was produced, the viewer can join the creative journey with me. I’m dyslexic and a hands-on learner, so it helps me to understand art by seeing and feeling how a piece of work was made rather than reading about it.
I have always been creative and would sit painting for hours at four years old. As a child, my parents bought me the kids’ art sets with crayons, paintbrushes and felt tip pens – you know the ones!. I loved art classes in primary school and studied art at GCSE and A-level, by which time I had decided I wanted to be a full-time artist. When I got accepted to study fine art at Leeds Arts University in 2018, I couldn’t wait to create every day.
My first year at university was fantastic. I got to experiment with sculpture, which was something I had always wanted to do. I had my dyslexia assessment at the start of second year. Getting a diagnosis at 19 after struggling throughout school was a relief. We went into lockdown shortly after, so I moved my studio into the dining room of my one-bedroom apartment. I spent my second and third year of university having online lectures and making sculptures on the table I ate my dinner from! It was difficult, but I completed my degree and graduated on Zoom in 2021.
In 2023, I saw a call-out from Bradford 2025 for artists to visit Chemnitz in Germany, the European Capital of Culture 2025. I applied and was chosen to attend the annual Makers United festival alongside nine other UK artists. I was invited back this year, which showed me I can achieve great things!
Makers United is a four-day European festival for creativity, technology and innovation where hundreds of artists gather to teach thousands of visitors their craft. From science experiments to glasswork, printing or building your own robot, the festival has it all.
On Thursday and Friday, local school groups attended the Makers Festival, and I held sessions teaching students how to create and decorate pinch-pot clay bowls. Once we finished, I got to explore Chemnitz and tour the local makers’ spaces and galleries. Over the weekend, I taught workshops where participants could make anything they wanted or ask me to show them how to make something specific. Afterwards, we went out for drinks and food and made time for dancing!
Working in Chemnitz with nine local artists I’d never met before allowed me to create some fantastic friendships. I also got to meet artists from Austria, France, Bosnia and Germany. Five of us returned this year, and it was good to reconnect with our Slovenian friends from the 2023 festival! It was great to explore Germany with like-minded people. Together, we visited local shops and the Kunst Sammlungen Gallery, and had cocktails at Lokomov, an arts venue showcasing poetry, art, music, DJs and theatre.
A standout moment for me was when artists from around the globe came to my stand to create something with clay. Knowing that pieces from Chemnitz are now dotted across the world is super cool!
When I applied to Makers United, I was unsure whether I would be selected alongside great Bradford artists. I finished university during lockdown and didn’t know anyone in my local cultural sector. But my hard work paid off. Being a maker in Chemnitz for the last two years has allowed me to grow as an artist and bring home new friendships.
I cannot wait for 2025! There will be so many fantastic opportunities for the people of Bradford to showcase their talent, culture, and creativity. I would love to return to Chemnitz next year and be a part of their celebrations as well as our own.
Follow Jessica on Instagram @jessicaswift_fineart or visit her website at www.jessicaswiftfineart.com
