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Bon Bon Stories

In 2021 I was facing the fact that my only child would be leaving our life together, to start his own at university. To deal with the impending anxieties I made three bonbon dishes which contained the three things I was most anxious about.  Bonbon dishes make offerings to others and the message of each dish was designed to symbolically pass responsibilities that I felt for my son, onto him and to create an opportunity for talking about it together - communication containers!. After the cathartic effect of doing so was notably felt, I continued making bonbon dishes about other aspects of my life, absolutely anything that was on my mind at any one time - memories, conversations, issues etc - then almost a year later, I stopped at 100 dishes.

When the categories for Grayson's Art Club 3 were announced, 'Inside my Head' felt like it was made for the bon bon dishes and the rest, as they say, is history...or more accurately, is still available to watch on All4: Grayson's Art Club series 3, episode 4 and 'The Exhibition'! 

"They're just so pro!" -  Sir Grayson Perry

Collection of BonBon dishes by Jam Westwood

Bonbon Stories showed at Birmingham MAC (Midlands Art Centre) in 2023 and features in Graysons Art Club: The Exhibition Volume III, available to purchase at bookstores.

Jam Westwood and Sir Grayson Perry
People at Birmingham Mac gallery enjoy looking at Jam Westwood's Bon Bon Stories
Graysons art club logo
Bon Bon Stories - 100 dishes in display case
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