Wonderland is created in memory of my mother who died of cancer in 2008. She was an English teacher for over 30 years, her life’s great passion was storytelling and beautiful books. After I lost her I fell into depression, retreating to the woods where I began to forge myself an alternative existence through the portal of my camera. I created pictures filled with fantasy, colour, sadness and longing based on the faded memories of the stories she read to me. It became a way to block out the ghosts of the hospital, a powerful therapy and ultimately a more beautiful world than my actual reality.
Described as a multi-faceted artist, fine art photographer Kirsty Mitchell draws on her past careers in fashion design and costume making, to produce images of beguiling dream-like worlds all shot in the ancient woodlands that surround her home. Kirsty describes her approach as ‘Fantasy for Real’ spending months meticulously handcrafting her character’s costumes and props. Mitchell has exhibited in museums, galleries and institutions and has featured in many of the world’s leading press. Her series Wonderland is now a successful book and an international touring museum show with Fotografiska.
