Elspeth Penfold was born to Anglo-Argentine parents in La-Paz, Bolivia in 1953. She spent her formative years in La Paz and Cochabamba (Bolivia), Santiago (Chile), Lima (Peru) and Montevideo (Uruguay). At the age of 19 she came to England to study. Elspeth develops her art practice in both Whitstable and London, with frequent trips to Argentina to visit relatives and gather inspiration. Her work is concerned with origins, journeys and destinations. I have a background in sociology as well as art which is reflected in my practice. Her family's background as emigrees to Argentina and her own reverse emigration from South America to the UK, has had a great influence on her thinking about art and on her work.She still has the blanket which was worn by her family's Bolivian cook which was used to carry her around on her back when Elspeth was a baby. Her artwork also reflects the influences of her adult life spent in England. As a result of her background and nomadic existence she am interested in how people and objects can be transformed into one existence and rooted in another.