By Amelia Pethullis

Having introduced the first seven artists in Part One, this second feature turns to the remaining six practitioners who helped shape Emerging Contemporaries. From explorations of folklore and local heritage to questions of identity, embodiment and lived experience, their work reflects the extraordinary range of contemporary practice currently emerging across Yorkshire.

One of the greatest joys of curating the exhibition was discovering the different ways artists approach making sense of the world around them through material outputs. While each practice was uniquely personal, each artist shared a sense of playful experimentation in their practice which united the individual works into an eye catching display of northern creativity.

Meet the Artists

Chonchi

At a Glance

Instagram: @chonchiart

Practice: Mixed media and expressive painting

Themes: Female identity, vulnerability, sexuality and embodiment

Phoebe Blaskett, working under the name Chonchi, creates deeply personal works that explore the experience of womanhood through expressive and confrontational forms.

Artist Insights

Originally trained in both Fine Art and Graphic Design, Chonchi’s practice developed as a private means of processing personal experiences.

Over time, these intimate explorations of sexuality, bodily autonomy, emotional vulnerability and identity have become increasingly public.

The exhibited work, In Space It Drips, emerged from a desire to understand the body in what Phoebe describes as its "vulnerable yet bestial state".

Its raw presentation rejects refinement in favour of emotional honesty.

"The bolder I am in my approach to communicate through art, the more comfortable I am with breaking the discomfort of owning these feelings."

While sharing such personal work has been emotionally challenging, Phoebe describes the experience of exhibiting in Scarborough as both an honour and an important moment of connection.

Hannah Griffiths

At a Glance

Instagram: @hannah_griffiths_ceramics

Practice: Ceramics

Themes: Coastline, wildlife and natural observation

Based on the North Yorkshire coast, Hannah Griffiths creates hand-built ceramic works celebrating the landscapes and wildlife that surround her.

Artist Insights

Working with techniques including sgraffito, handbuilding and layered underglaze decoration, Hannah creates vessels and sculptural forms inspired by water, birdlife and coastal environments.

Each piece functions as a small record of observation, transforming fleeting encounters with nature into tactile objects.

Her practice began through local ceramics classes and is currently evolving into a more research-led body of work under the mentorship of ceramicist Katie Braida.

Alongside a career in primary education, Hannah continues to develop her artistic practice, with Emerging Contemporaries representing an exciting opportunity to exhibit work to new audiences.

Emily Nunns

At a Glance

Instagram: @artby_emilynunns

Practice: Mixed media

Themes: Neurodivergence, chronic illness, queerness and embodied experience

Emily Nunns is a self-taught artist based in Hull whose highly personal work explores how she experiences and navigates the world.

Artist Insights

Combining acrylic paint, printmaking, oil pastel and clay, Emily creates vibrant works characterised by intense colour and visceral imagery.

Her painting Heavy developed from something deceptively ordinary: toothache while flossing.

From that moment emerged a broader exploration of shame, self-care and societal expectations.

The work confronts viewers directly with the realities of neglect, illness and struggle rather than allowing these experiences to remain hidden.

Emily's artistic practice continues to grow through participation in Feral Art School's Supported Studios Programme in Hull.

Across her wider body of work, Emily combines painting, printmaking and sculptural elements to explore her experiences as a neurodivergent, queer and chronically ill woman. Saturated neon colours and visceral depictions of the body have become hallmarks of her practice, allowing her to communicate experiences that are often overlooked, misunderstood or hidden from view. Through this unflinching approach, her work transforms personal experience into opportunities for connection, conversation and recognition.

Hannah Stamp

At a Glance

Instagram: @hannah.stamp.art

Practice: Linocut printmaking

Themes: Folklore, local history and cultural heritage

Hannah Stamp's work celebrates Yorkshire's rich tradition of folklore, storytelling and historic place.

Artist Insights

Alongside her artistic practice, Hannah works professionally as an archivist, a role that strongly informs her creative approach. Living within the folklore-rich landscape of the Wold Newton Triangle, she draws inspiration from local traditions, historic records, architectural heritage and stories that have been passed down through generations.

Through intricate linocut prints, Hannah reinterprets the people, places and customs that shape Yorkshire's cultural identity. Her work often explores subjects such as traditional mummers, folk customs, historic monuments and the enduring myths embedded within the landscape. In doing so, she creates contemporary interpretations of stories that might otherwise be overlooked or forgotten.

For Hannah, printmaking becomes a method of preservation as much as artistic expression.

"I see my prints as another way of preserving and sharing the lore of the land."

Alongside her printmaking practice, Hannah and her husband run Stampy's in Scarborough Market Hall Vaults, an independent shop showcasing artwork, prints and carefully curated products. The space reflects many of the same interests that inform Hannah's work, from local heritage and storytelling to a strong connection with place. Whether through printmaking, archival research or her presence within the creative community of the Vaults, Hannah's practice is rooted in ensuring these stories continue to find new audiences.

Mary-Ann Stevens

At a Glance

Instagram: @maryannstevensartist

Website : www.maryannstevens.com

Practice: Sculpture

Themes: Identity, gender, humour and vulnerability

Scarborough artist Mary-Ann Stevens creates playful yet psychologically rich sculptural works.

Artist Insights

Working primarily in papier-mâché, Mary-Ann constructs characters that occupy an unusual space between comedy and melancholy.

Their exaggerated features, uneven surfaces and handmade qualities create an immediate sense of personality and vulnerability.

While often humorous at first encounter, the works address deeper questions surrounding gender expectations, identity and self-representation.

Since completing her MFA at Chelsea College of Arts and relocating to Scarborough in 2021, Mary-Ann has continued to build a strong regional presence, including being selected as a SCAF finalist in 2025.

Jess Hargreaves

At a Glance

Instagram: @hargreavesart

Practice: Multidisciplinary

Themes: Language, labour, literature and process

Jess Hargreaves explores the ways language can function beyond its typical role as communication.

Artist Insights

Drawing inspiration from literature, poetry and working-class histories, Jess transforms written text into visual mark making.

Writing becomes drawing. Words become materials.

Through repetitive gestures, additions, distortions and layering, language is translated into paintings, textiles and print-based works that balance abstraction with communication. Her practice is also informed by her Lancashire roots and an ongoing interest in women's working-class histories, using making as a way of exploring inherited stories, labour and identity.

Hargreaves process-driven approach reflects influences from DIY culture while also drawing on histories of women's labour. The result is a practice that continually tests the boundaries between reading and seeing.

Looking Back

What began as a desire to create momentum following the completion of my studies, evolved into an experience that reinforced the value of artistic community. Many participating artists were navigating similar moments of transition, whether returning to practice after time away, exhibiting in a new region, balancing creative work alongside other careers, or taking their first steps into public exhibition.

The exhibition demonstrated that emerging practice cannot be neatly defined by age, career stage or medium. Instead, what connected these artists was a willingness to experiment, question and develop their work.

I remain incredibly grateful to every artist who trusted me with their work, to Scarborough Market Hall for providing the venue, and to the Scott Creative Arts Foundation for supporting me in pursuing the project.

Most importantly, Emerging Contemporaries reaffirmed why organisations like SCAF continue to matter. By creating opportunities for artists to connect, exhibit and grow, we help strengthen the creative communities that make Yorkshire such a vibrant place to live and work. I truly cannot wait to see what all 13 of these amazing artists do next and if you have enjoyed seeing and reading about their works then be sure to follow them on instagram to stay up to date with their practices!