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It was a piece of music by Emily Burridge that first drew my attention to the Day of the Dead celebration .

While living on the East Coast of Brazil, studying folkloric music, Emily recorded a procession of people ecstatically shouting out the names of their patron saints as they converge on the town square. This had been after a day of offering prayers at all the sacred sites in the area.

She incorporated their celebration into a haunting piece of music using her ‘cello and featuring percussionist Milton Fiori

So to visit Laurie Lipton’s exhibition was not surprising from the subject matter but the quality of the work took my breath away.

The exhibition was held in a room at the Melia White House Hotel in central London, next to Regents Park.

The walls of the room were not white but an oppressive black and the lighting minimal. To me this made her work standout like teeth in a skull’s head.

The room was dressed by Michael Lapsley from the Victoria and Albert Museum and you’ll also hear from him in this feature.

Although Laurie Lipton was the first person to graduate from Carnegie-Mellon University in Pennsylvania with a Fine Arts Degree in Drawing (with honors), Laurie Lipton is self taught.

In this interview you will hear her talk about how she became an artist and how she learnt her skills. She also explains how the Day of The Dead festival inspired her and she’ll explain some of her drawings; how she composed them and some of the hidden meanings.

More info: www.laurielipton.com