Werxzovart, the pseudonym for artist Sonje Hibbert, was established in 1996; from a very rustic, oldish granite stone built cottage; quietly nestled in a ex tin mining cliff side hamlet on the wild and windswept Atlantic coast of West Penwith, Cornwall UK.
The artist herself however was born elsewhere, in Scotland on the outskirts of Glasgow in 1964, with family roots extending from the industrial townships & moorland valleys of the South Pennines UK, to the windswept archipelago of Shetland right up there in the North Atlantic Sea. A viking ancestry no doubt, however, Sonje was brought up and educated in much more distant lands: experiencing an extraordinary life in Malawi & Hong Kong from 1969-1980.
Dirt road, dust filled, family car trajectories were the childhood mainstay throughout 1969-1973 with frequent explorations around Eastern & Southern African wilderness. Finally departing the continent in 1973: sailing north eastwards on a cargo ship across the Indian Ocean to Bombay in order to drive across West Asia back to the UK in the trusty family Peugeot Estate Car. This memorable vehicle was then shipped to HK, to live out its final days where the family relocated to until 1980. By the mid 1980's further solo travels continued around West & East Asia, driving & hitch hiking across Australia, and traversing Russia on the Trans Mongolian Railway from Beijing to Moscow. With all these varied & tropical climes being the familiar until her mid twenties in 1990, its safe to say a lot happened on this road well travelled, buoyed on from a childhood injected with extraordinary adventures to blow the mind!
In 1991, with this unwavering global exploration underway, alternatively living, working and travelling in Israel, India, South East Asia through to Australia and NZ; a life changing road traffic accident in the UK brought sharper focus to pursue her artistic career. To nuture the creative expression that was powered by these inspiring escapades around the world.
Driven by unapologetic escapism from this increasingly uncompromising world; in full avoidance of becoming the beige domestic, or an indifferent barnacle in her rock obsessive mode; the creative expression unfurls as a narrative- through this nomadic modus operandi; an adventurous and continuing quest for self. (However lets not forget the passion for collecting rocks and ridiculous hoarding of weird and wonderful antiquities magpied along the way!) By immersion in dramatic landscapes, either vast and barren, or geographically obscure, the relationship of place and emotion can only then be felt. Sometimes the artistic expression is an existential impression, sometimes not. The work offered is visceral; with personal & artistic boundaries being stretched: creating a slightly unusual and audacious, risk taking mode.
Working as an artist for over forty years, with a solo showcase from 2013 -2021 in the magnificantly successful self owned Werxzovart Studio Gallery on Main Street Haworth, W. Yorkshire: artistic production focused on large-scale expressions, offering exaggerated ceramic representations of 'The Jug' alongside unique large scale acrylic painted mixed media wall mounted contemporary designs. In addition to these, and since completing the Masters Degree in 2003, enthusiastic research has evloved around the language of geology. Creating pieces which are less about design of a stylized form and more about the manipulaton and receptive nature of the maliable substance of clay, with more recent explorations into where and how the organic material originates from. Complimenting these very sought after ceramics, the large acrylic painted wall panels feature natural elements taken from the land that inspired them. The work at times combining steel & ceramic: many are then framed with a considered brace of recycled lead. All of the unique artworks are highly collectable and which have been paramount in supporting this enigmatic & nomadic way.
Departing a physical gallery presence, 2021-2024 inspiration has been nurtured between adventurous overland trajectories across Eastern & Southern Africa: and retreating to the ancestral roots set within the fascinating geological phenomena of the northern most isles of the UK, Shetland.
TRANS AFRICA- NAIROBI TO VICTORIA FALLS OVERLAND 2023
The gallery currently sleeps, however, artworks that are available can be viewed on this website under artworks for sale. The new studio is under development in 2025, with inquiries for art work purchase and travel updates most welcome, so please feel free to get in touch!
FAIR ISLE SHETLAND FEB 2022
