Cherry-Mae Whitehead-Howse

Cherry-Mae is a self taught printmaker with an MA in Creative Writing and English Literature. She has lived in Sheffield for the past eight years, and draws her inspiration from music, folklore and literature. 


With narrative being at the centre of her work, she seeks to use movement, light, and detail to convey the story at the heart of each piece. Adding in her own connections to give each artwork the tender yet sadistic flare she is known for. Only beginning her work with relief printing in 2020, she immediately fell in love with the graphic impact of the medium.

The Creggan White Hare is a large single block linoprint inspired by a line from Daoiri Farrell's rendition of the Irish folk song of the same name: 'seven dogs and nine men did that poor hare surround'. As the most detailed and labour intensive print to date, this block took seventy eight hours to carve. The light in this piece is used as a representation of the calm and innocence of the hare, while the foliage and the hunting dogs which surround her are swept up in a chaotic, ever-darkening, spiral. 

Blackbird - Part One is a stylised two block printing black and gold ink, illustrating the song 'Blackbird' by The Beatles. This song was played a lot in her household when she was a child, and the sad nature of it both fascinated and frightened her. This print is a dedication to both that morbid aspect and the accompanying narrative of rebirth. It is the first print of a pair’; ‘Blackbird - Part Two' is currently work in progress.

© Cherry-Mae Whitehead-Howse