Discover the amazing work of British art photographer and artist Kirsty Mitchell. Here, you step into a fairy-tale world filled with large, colorful images featuring magical creations and enchanting forest environments. There are also several costumes and other props that you will recognize from the pictures.
Wonderland is based on the love between a daughter and her mother. When her beloved mother Maureen dies of cancer in 2008, Kirsty falls into a deep depression. She retreats to her home in the English countryside and spends more and more time in the surrounding forests.
Out in the woods, Kirsty begins to build fairy-tale worlds, with characters and scenes inspired by stories from her childhood. It is a way of processing her endless grief and loss. She photographs her worlds—and eventually decides to make a book of the pictures, dedicated to Maureen Mitchell. The Wonderland Book is an exclusive book featuring all 74 works from the Wonderland series, plus a number of behind-the-scenes photos. It is printed on the highest quality paper and weighs approximately 4.5 kilograms.
The images will also feature in the Wonderland exhibition, which has enjoyed international success in recent years. Here, Kirsty Mitchell displays her works in large formats – several of them over two meters in size. In Sweden, Wonderland has been shown at Fotografiska in Stockholm and at Läckö Castle, among other venues.
The exhibition at Örebro Castle features around 40 works of art. These are mainly images from the original series, but also some newer productions based on Kirsty's next life challenge – when her son is born and she is diagnosed with breast cancer shortly afterwards.
Kirsty Mitchell has a background in fashion design and costume making, something she naturally brings to bear when creating her grandiose and incredibly detailed works of art. Mitchell, a multi-talented artist, makes all the spectacular costumes and props herself by hand—and it can take months to prepare all the material for a single scene.
When she's ready, she takes everything with her and heads out into the woods with her team: her husband, a model, and a makeup artist. Once they're in the right spot, they work together to build the set. It's often colorful and always fascinating.
Finally, Kirsty Mitchell steps behind the camera and captures it all: color and imagination, dreams and reality. But also deep sorrow and longing.
Don't miss Wonderland. By Kirsty Mitchell. At Örebro Castle.
