Heather Russell

Heather shape shifts into the majestic, yet anarchical magpie. Taking inspiration from shamanism yet not claiming to be one herself, Heather's work is satirical yet escapist from her own personal reality. Whilst using extractivism to hold the British empire responsible for their actions. The magpie is bold and loud, its voice shrill to hold the audience to attention.

To insist in a way that Johnny Rotten and the anarchists of the past have used to call upon people to listen up! This work holds the empire accountable for the ravaged lands, life's cultures, identities, homes lost and loot stolen. Its character echoed by the multi-media sculptures used as vessels for the performance around it.

Her work urges us not to conform, but to instead question and hold accountable an empire which has brainwashed a nation into being compliant and non-questioning. It looks at the parallels in ritualistic behaviour between shamanism, The Occult and British culture. This art practice holds the empire accountable for the blood lost in order for it to reclaim many cultures and items as its own.