Merissa Hylton was born into a family of Jamaican descent in Berkshire, England in 1981 and studied Interior Design at London Guildhall University and Art, Design & Communication at the University of the Arts London. She is renowned for her diverse engagement across sculpture, painting, pottery, and textile art. Her practice, deeply influenced by her personal experience of living with Amniotic Band Syndrome, explores themes of ancestry, identity, mental health, and healing, often incorporating African symbolism and spirituality; she also advocates for art as a form of creative therapy.
Multidisciplinary artist and educator, Merissa Hylton was born in Berkshire, England into a family of Jamaican descent in 1981. She earned her BA in interior design at London Guildhall University (2004) and her PGCert Academic Practice in Art, Design & Communication from the University of the Arts London (2021). She later became an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Hylton's practice is diverse and includes sculpture, painting, pottery, and textile art, with clay being her medium of choice. This preference is especially meaningful, considering her personal circumstances, as she has Amniotic Band Syndrome, which has resulted in the absence of fingers on one hand. This physical attribute plays a crucial role in her artistic exploration and expression, particularly in her identity as a Black disabled woman. Her work often involves physically engaging with materials, notably the tactile experience of clay, and she often uses traditional West African coiling methods. Her artistic journey includes documenting her path towards accepting her disability and the limitations it imposes – a process she describes as ongoing and continuously revealing new insights and challenges in her self-perception (Hylton, 16 October 2021). In her art, Hylton explores complex themes such as ancestry, emotions, mental health, identity, and healing. She employs a variety of mediums, guided by the principle that the spirit, energy, and inspiration of the subject dictate the materials and form of her art. Her approach often leads to the creation of multiple works around specific themes, with her process of research and production revealing new interests and inspiring further bodies of work.
Hylton also strongly advocates for art as a form of creative therapy, emphasising its positive impact on mental health and personal wellbeing. This belief is reflected in her art, which often incorporates African symbolism, spirituality, and storytelling, aiming to convey these rich narratives through contemporary visual interpretation. Adinkra Stories is a sculpture collection blending Ghanaian heritage with modern art. Inspired by traditional Adinkra symbols from her West African ancestry, Hylton transforms these symbols into simplified three-dimensional forms. Integrating the De Stijl art movement's principles, she uses primary colours to emphasise the sculptures' symbolism and form. Each piece in the collection encapsulates a profound cultural wisdom, presenting age-old lessons through contemporary visual interpretation. Her sculpture Sankofa was inspired by the Sankofa symbol, meaning 'go back and fetch it,' which resonated deeply with Hylton, symbolising the importance of learning from the past and serving as a metaphor for her journey in tracing and understanding her lineage. Affirmations, included in the Black British Visual Artists exhibition in 2019, addresses the Windrush Scandal and the policing of Black bodies, particularly focusing on Black women and societal views about their hair. This poignant piece features a hand holding a rose quartz crystal, symbolising protection and self-love, while negative news headlines represent the onslaught of racial prejudice and stereotypes. Hylton created this artwork as a personal response to these challenges, using it as a tool for self-therapy and empowerment. Be Still & Know features a cast of a Black woman with closed eyes and a finger pressed to her lips, embodying a moment of introspection and inner peace. Inspired by an affirmation song from her teenage years in church, the sculpture invites viewers to pause and reflect, encouraging a contemplative engagement with one's inner self. The piece was exhibited at the Bute Street Arts Festival, Luton, in 2019, winning the Arts Festival Directors Choice Award.
Hylton's first solo exhibition, Cosmic Queens, took place at Zenubian, London in 2018. It featured her series Everyday Queens, which celebrated women in her life who have had a positive influence, and Cosmic Women, a tribute to the female form and feminine energy on a universal scale. In 2019 she participated in Here & Now Exhibition at OXO Gallery, London, which showcased contemporary artworks by Black UK artists on the theme of Britain today, and in A Windrush Legacy at Rich Mix, London. In 2022, Hylton was a key contributor to The World Reimagined Project learning programme, a national initiative that displayed over 100 globes across seven UK cities with the aim of fostering dialogue about the Transatlantic Slave Trade and racial justice. In 2023, she was the recipient of a Henry Moore Foundation Artist Grant. In the same year, Hylton's art was featured in the exhibition Pouring from a Vessel of Knowledge at Cromwell Place, London, which commemorated the 75th anniversary of the HMT Empire Windrush. Alongside fellow Jamaican heritage artists, Sonia Elizabeth Barrett, Marcia Patterson, and Katasha Rose, the exhibition examined themes of remembrance, reclamation, and reframing, focusing on how these artists draw on ancestral wisdom to confront legacies of colonialism.
In 2017 Hylton founded Black British Visual Artists, a platform dedicated to networking, exhibiting, and sharing the work of Black artists in the UK. Merissa Hylton’s work is not currently represented in UK public collections.
Consult items in the Ben Uri archive related to [Merissa Hylton]
Publications related to [Merissa Hylton] in the Ben Uri Library