Alice Instone facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alice Instone
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Instone in 2016
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Alice Instone (born 4 June 1975) is an English artist. She is known for creating art that explores ideas about gender, personal stories, and the things that connect us all. She often works with famous people on her projects.
Contents
About Alice Instone
Early Life and Education
Alice Instone was born in 1975 and grew up in East Sussex, England. She studied English at King's College London and art history at The Courtauld Institute of Art. Before becoming a full-time artist in 2005, she worked as an English teacher and in advertising.
Her Art Style
Alice Instone's art often looks at common feelings, memories, and daily habits. She uses things like our to-do lists, our shoes, or memories of our grandmothers to show what makes us unique and what we all share. Her work often explores themes of closeness, traditions, memories, and how time passes. She sometimes uses old stories and images in new ways.
Her art shows are often interactive, meaning visitors can take part. For example, in 2016, thousands of people shared their to-do lists for her "The Pram in the Hall" project. In 2018, visitors to her "magic art caravan" could get readings from "The Grandmother" using her special card deck. Alice Instone believes art can help people discover things about themselves.
She has worked on projects with big organizations like the United Nations, the British Parliament, and Oxfam. She has also collaborated with many well-known figures, including musicians Annie Lennox and Beverley Knight, actresses Helen McCrory and Emilia Fox, and human rights activist Bianca Jagger.
Famous Art Shows
21 21st Century Women, 2008
Alice Instone's first big show featured portraits of 21 powerful women from modern times. She created this series because she noticed that most portraits in the National Portrait Gallery were of powerful men, with very few of powerful women. She wanted to show women as strong and influential.
Some of the famous women she painted included Annie Lennox, Cherie Blair, and Fiona Bruce. These artworks were shown at The House of Commons and The Royal Society of Arts.
Interview with a Shoe, 2009
This exhibition showed portraits of people through their favorite shoes. Alice Instone believed that shoes could tell a lot about a person and their values. Many people shared emotional stories or memories connected to their shoes. For example, Annie Lennox's shoes from a special event were part of the show.
Alice Instone also painted piles of old shoes from an Oxfam charity depot. This show included shoes from Annie Lennox, Bianca Jagger, Elle Macpherson, and Sir Peter Blake. The exhibition was displayed at Northampton Museum, which has a huge collection of historical shoes.
The House of Fallen Women, 2010
In 2010, Alice Instone's series "The House of the Fallen Woman" opened at The House of St Barnabas in London. This building used to be a safe place for women in need. The artworks showed famous women from history who were often seen in a negative light.
For this project, she again worked with well-known people. For example, Emilia Fox posed as Marie Antoinette, and Annie Lennox and her daughter Lola posed as Elizabeth I and Helen of Troy.
Because a Fire Was In My Head, 2012
This 2012 show explored the role of women who inspire artists, known as muses. The title comes from a poem by W.B. Yeats. Alice Instone wanted to show how painting can capture a strong sense of reality.
She Should Have Known Better, 2013
This exhibition took place at Lamb House, the former home of writer Henry James. Alice Instone was inspired by James's stories about women who broke rules. Her art featured women from history and modern times who challenged expectations.
One portrait showed Helen McCrory as Lilith, a figure from ancient stories. The exhibition highlighted how women who are brave enough to stand out are sometimes unfairly criticized.
The Pram in the Hall, 2016
After having children, Alice Instone felt overwhelmed by her daily to-do lists. She started collecting lists from other well-known women and displayed them for the public to see. She also made large, shiny artworks from her own lists, showing her feelings. She then invited visitors to add their own lists to a big art piece.
This exhibition opened in London on International Women’s Day in 2016.
Playing Cards with My Grandmother, 2018
In 2018, Alice Instone worked with UN Women to create a "magic art caravan" that traveled around London. Her goal was to make art more accessible to everyone and to show that "what we share is more powerful than what divides us."
Inspired by the card games she played with her grandmother as a child, Alice Instone created a special deck of cards with different characters, or "archetypes," from stories around the world. These cards offered "grandmotherly advice." Visitors could enter the caravan, play a card game, or get a card reading. They were also invited to write down memories of their grandmothers in "The Book of Grandmothers."
The caravan was set up in busy places like Canary Wharf, Carnaby Street, and outside Tate Modern.
Alice Instone in Hollywood
In 2015, Alice Instone became an artist in residence at the famous Chateau Marmont hotel in Hollywood. Her project "Tell Me Everything You Saw And What You Think It Means" and its accompanying book were released in 2019.
Solo Exhibitions List
- 2018 Playing Cards with My Grandmother, London (various locations)
- 2016 The Pram in the Hall, 1 Cathedral Street, Southwark, London
- 2013 She Should Have Known Better, Lamb House, Rye (National Trust property)
- 2012 Because A Fire Was In My Head, Cob Gallery, London
- 2010 The House of Fallen Women, The House of St Barnabas, Soho, London
- 2010 Alice Instone, Northampton Museum
- 2009 Interview With A Shoe, BBB Gallery London
- 2009 Laura Bailey's Lucky Shoes, Chanel Head Office London
- 2008 In History Anonymous Was A Woman, Houses of Parliament, London
- 2008 21 21st Century Women, Ernst & Young Headquarters, London
- 2007 Phenomenal Women, Royal Society of Arts, London
Personal Life
Alice Instone married Hugh Billett in 2002. They have a daughter (born 2008) and a son (born 2011).
