Pieces of me Artist Marc Quinn 16 Notebook The style agenda for men and women

My life in six objects, by artist Marc Quinn

Marc Quinn, 53, is a visual artist known for his sculptures of Alison Lapper and Kate Moss, and for Self, a series of sculptures of his own head made using his frozen blood. His next exhibition, Marc Quinn: Drawn from Life, opens at Sir John Soane’s Museum in London on March 28 (soane. org). He lives in London. Interview by Jessica Carpani. Photographs by Jasper Fry 1 Cast of William Blake’s head I find Blake amazing as he wasn’t restricted to one medium – he drew, wrote, painted, and had his own eccentric vision unlike anyone else’s. His mask was one of my inspirations for Self. 2 Pacari Raw Organic Chocolate I don’t eat dairy, so this is perfect for me as it’s 100 per cent cacao. It has intense sweetness and depth, so I never eat more than two pieces at a time. 3 Cast of Jenny’s head My girlfriend, Jenny, is the model for the sculptures in my new exhibition, which is about love and relationships. I used her, rather than models, because there’s a reality to it. 4 Erica’s Country Style Pepper Sauce This is my favourite condiment – it’s incredibly hot and I put it on everything. It’s made on the island of St Vincent. 5 Sandal I found this shoe washed up on a beach in England. It is so worn by the sea, it looks like an ancient stone artefact. I love the fact that even the most humble objects can have a story. 6 Venus of Willendorf sculpture This is a replica of one of the earliest sculptures of a human ever found, which dates back to 25,000BC. I bought a tiny model of it in a museum then made a bronze cast myself. I see it as one of the earliest self-portraits.

‘My girlfriend is the model for my new exhibition about relationships. I used her because there’s a reality to it’