About Joanna

Joanna Myles (Jo), is an international emerging maker working from Sussex, UK.

Her work can be found in galleries across the UK & USA and in key publications. She works from her garden studio, BIP, an artist-led print studio in Brighton, and The Ugly Barn community pottery in Ditchling. Jo has a rich background in creative industries.

An artist, a mother, and a life lover. With 7 children, 3 cats & her beloved dog, Sherlock, Jo’s days are spent creating unique and original bodies of work alongside key commissions and community projects.

Jo graduated from Ravensbourne University in 2001 with a degree in printmaking & textiles, she went on to work in the fashion industry for a number of years. Working for the likes of Alexander McQueen, Duffer of St George, Fintan Walshe, Laura Ashley & Warehouse.

Setting up and running an award-winning company, 3 Blonde Bears Ltd saw Jo go on to be listed for 3 consecutive years in the Startups100UK as one of the country’s most disruptive creative company founders. In 2013 Jo was selected by Lord Young & Sir Terry Healy to be a founding member of Enterprise 250 seeing Jo recognized as one of the most creative founders in the UK.

A change of health back in 2017 led Jo to reassess her life and work balance and she’s very happy to be returning to her creative roots as a full-time maker.

Featured on Sky Arts LAOTY 2021 Jo was selected as one of the final three artists for her episode by Tai Shan Sherinburg, Kate Bryan & Kathleen Soriano.

Shortlisted for the Glyndebourne Tour Art in 2021, and hung in the Turner Contemporary Open 2021 in Margate, UK.

Jo is becoming an emerging maker of interest, highly collectible and accessible.

She co-founded Sussex Contemporary Ltd in 2021 with a manifesto and mission to provide supportive platforms for Sussex Linked artists, Jo is the Creative Director of the company which hosts major open op-calls across the county. As part of her on-going commitment to sharing knowledge and experience Jo has developed, and is starting to deliver a series of talks about the business side of art offering practical and useful information to artists and creatives.

2022 Saw Jo join Heritage Crafts as a maker of the endangered craft of textiles and wallpaper printing, one of only 7 makers globally using this heritage craft. You can view her profile here.

In 2023 Jo became an approved maker registered with the Crafts Council, you can view her profile here.

During September 2023 Jo was appointed as a Trustee of the Ditchling Museum of Art + Crafts.

Joanna’s body of work & collections sees her take an experimental and unique paternalistic approach through large & small-scale works that tell a tale individually and together as a group. Her first body of work was sold to a private collector in New York, USA, and went on a touring exhibition there in July 2019.

“I love being a maker, a lot. I feel like I always should have been a maker. I am a maker.”

Artist Statement 2023

JOANNA MYLES b. 1978

My work explores human relationships with the patterns and the objects we gather and keep in our homes and the nature of the landscapes we live in. I explore these through a variety of mediums, leaning towards printmaking on paper and fabric, and extending my patterns and concepts onto experimental ceramic works.

Drawing and observation of social interactions are critical to my practice as a maker. This often starts as an observational sketch and eventually finds itself as a mark within her printmaking practice.

A printer, painter, and potter working from my studio in Sussex I create beautiful handmade patterns, wallpaper, and objects to be cherished in your home. I mainly work with relief printing methods producing Ltd edition lino prints inspired by nature and the beautiful landscapes here in Sussex.

Through an ongoing research project into the late great Peggy Angus, I discovered the craft of Lino printing wallpaper by hand, having spent time with those that printed for Peggy I have learned her method and adapted it to create a way of making here within my studio.

The patterns I design and print in turn inspire the pottery I create.