Jenna Burchell

Born 1985 in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa

Lives and works in Pretoria, South Africa

 

Burchell works as an anti-disciplinary South African artist weaving together various forms of science and technology, ideas sourced from and (critical of) anthropology, along with sound and interactivity in her art. Her work often fuses the digital with the natural world through sculptural objects and interactive environments. Burchell's work explores the power inherent in the creation of an archive. In her current project Songsmith, she restores broken objects and sites by embedding golden sound instruments (songsmith) into them. These sculptures respond to human contact by revealing song about people, places and events within the vicissitudes of time.

 

Burchell completed a Fine Arts degree at the University of Pretoria in 2007. She has been resident artist at institutions such as; Yorkshire Sculpture Park (2017), Nirox Sculpture park (2016) and Arteles Residency in Finland (2012). She was the recipient of the Soundlands Public Art Commission in Wales (2015), National Arts Festival Grant in Grahamstown (2014), Ithuba Art Fund in Johannesburg (2013) and the Thami Mnyele Fine Art Award in Ekhureleni (2011). Her work has been exhibited in national and international institutions and galleries in American, Europe and South Africa as weak as special projects at FNB Joburg Art Fair (2015), Turbine Art Fair (2014) - Johannesburg, and Art15 (2015) - London. Burchell's large scale, permanent, commission Songsmith (The Great Karoo) was recently installed at the Spier Wine Estate, South Africa (2018).