Description

Self Care Bears by Emma Gibbons

Emma Gibbons’ bear pieces are emblematic her interest in consumerism, excess, addiction and transformation. As she has described, the accumulation of thousands of pill-capsules speaks to our culture of “more, more, more”, and to addiction not just to substances but to objects, shiny things, luxury, colour.  The bear figure—innocent, toy-like—acts as a vehicle for this layered reading: it invites immediate joy and visual pleasure, but also invites reflection on the spectacle of consumption.

Emma Gibbons’ bear-shaped works (often titled

Each bear shape is filled with thousands of tiny hand-made “pill” capsules which contribute a jewel-like surface texture and vibrant pop-colour palette.  The effect is playful, visually dazzling, and somewhat ironic: the cute bear form contrasts with the hyper-materiality of pills and consumer-glamour materials, so the work sits between whimsy and critique.