About
Bella Milroy is an artist and writer who lives in their hometown of Chesterfield, Derbyshire. They work responsively through mediums of sculpture, drawings, photography, text, writing, gardening and curating. Their work explores how we touch and make contact with the world around us, with the hand-held being of particular significance. They make work about making work (and being disabled) and not being able to make work (and being disabled). They are interested in the duality of every-day existence, and how things can be both beautiful/painful, both interesting/dull. This process-based practice is fundamental to them as a disabled artist, utilising and working with the significant limits and demands of living with a chronic illness, all mixed in with the detritus of domesticity. They are continually motivated by concepts of public and private spaces and where the sick and/or disabled body exists within them, themes which emerge throughout much of their work.
They are passionate about contributing to the cataloguing of disabled artists, as well as advocating for better, more accessible and enjoyable working experiences for disabled artists across the industry. Examples of this are found in many of their curatorial projects such as Soft Sanctuary (2019-2021), Mob-Shop (2021), and Further Afield (2022 - 2024). They were Artistic Associate at Level Centre, Rowsley, Derbyshire 2021-23.
In 2015 they won the Birth Rites Collection Bi-Annual Award, part of which included their residency at the Women’s Art Library (WAL), based at Goldsmiths University of London. The time spent on residency at WAL resulted in her project and solo show, File Under Female.
They studied Fine Art (BA) at Nottingham Trent University 2010-2016.
Their favourite place to be is at their studio-allotment, where they are currently building a rose garden and playing with their A0 flower press.