My name is Ellen Sampson and I am a shoe designer, curator and artist living and working in London. I work on the boundaries between fashion and fine art, attempting to explore the relationship between clothing and lived experience. I am also undertaking a PhD in Footwear at Royal College of Art.
What inspires you in general?
I take most of my inspiration from sculpture and architecture and furniture design. I am particularly inspired by the work of artists and designers from the early and mid 20th Century. I have a particular interest in sculptors such as Barbara Hepworth and Brancusi whose simple abstracted forms and clean lines really appeal to me. I also really like the mark making and painterly qualities of the St Ives group artists such as Ben Nicholson. When developing a collection I often refer to furniture and interior design from the 30s, 40s, and 50s. I particularly like the work of Jean Prouve for its honest use of materials and simple functional forms.
