About
Statement
The various stands of my work, whether installation, performance, sculpture or painting, are linked by a fascination with historical styles, and with the act and meaning of looking.
Visiting Munster and Documenta in 1996 I had become intrigued by C19th German Romanticism, leading me circuitously to Freud's office and surgery furnishings in Maresfield Gardens; for my MA exhibition I made wooden sculptures based on Freud's chair and work area and on Victorian-Gothic church furnishings; I made a chair that might be an escape vehicle for an analysand and an ironing board that might also be a cocktail cabinet,
Attraction to strong but mysterious forms led me to gravitate towards museums of WW2 ('British Bulldog', 'Air-Field'). I became intrigued by camouflage and how the eye could be deceived, which led me to explore historical optical instruments ('Real/Non-Real'). Concurrently I had, since 2003, been fascinated by the rise of China, by the East India Companies and the history of European chinoiserie. I began to make sculptures decorated in rococco styles ('Flypitch', 'Sinopticon').
In 2015 I made my first visit to India, and was driven to find out about the British Raj, studio photography and Mughal painting. The small paintings produced at this time quickly mutated into life-size wooden cutouts, expanded paintings which give me great flexibility. I became intrigued by the language of display and of uniforms, the 'feminised' dress of Royal Princes and Viceroys, the politics of posing and the Gaze.
I have always made groups of work, and favour installation and performance. 'British Bulldog' entailed at least a dozen assemblages and live performance, 'Real/Non-Real' was a collection of monochrome instruments', 'Roar Like a Paintbrush' and 'Hobson Jobson' were both 16 paintings hung as a group. Recently, 'Born in a Museum' is an ongoing collection of cutouts drawn on Raj, Mughal miniatures, Pop art and Commedia dell'Arte stage sets.
Currently, my sculpture and installations are life-size painted cutouts that suggest obscure, imagined and surreal histories; strong hybrid forms for real but unknowable uses, objects through which I could place myself within various pasts so as to explore them better. This body of work, 'Mob of Hordes', was the outcome of my Developing Your Creative Practise' funding from Arts Council England, which included mentoring by writers Sacha Craddock and Manick Govinda.
The various stands of my work, whether installation, performance, sculpture or painting, are linked by a fascination with historical styles, and with the act and meaning of looking.
Visiting Munster and Documenta in 1996 I had become intrigued by C19th German Romanticism, leading me circuitously to Freud's office and surgery furnishings in Maresfield Gardens; for my MA exhibition I made wooden sculptures based on Freud's chair and work area and on Victorian-Gothic church furnishings; I made a chair that might be an escape vehicle for an analysand and an ironing board that might also be a cocktail cabinet,
Attraction to strong but mysterious forms led me to gravitate towards museums of WW2 ('British Bulldog', 'Air-Field'). I became intrigued by camouflage and how the eye could be deceived, which led me to explore historical optical instruments ('Real/Non-Real'). Concurrently I had, since 2003, been fascinated by the rise of China, by the East India Companies and the history of European chinoiserie. I began to make sculptures decorated in rococco styles ('Flypitch', 'Sinopticon').
In 2015 I made my first visit to India, and was driven to find out about the British Raj, studio photography and Mughal painting. The small paintings produced at this time quickly mutated into life-size wooden cutouts, expanded paintings which give me great flexibility. I became intrigued by the language of display and of uniforms, the 'feminised' dress of Royal Princes and Viceroys, the politics of posing and the Gaze.
I have always made groups of work, and favour installation and performance. 'British Bulldog' entailed at least a dozen assemblages and live performance, 'Real/Non-Real' was a collection of monochrome instruments', 'Roar Like a Paintbrush' and 'Hobson Jobson' were both 16 paintings hung as a group. Recently, 'Born in a Museum' is an ongoing collection of cutouts drawn on Raj, Mughal miniatures, Pop art and Commedia dell'Arte stage sets.
Currently, my sculpture and installations are life-size painted cutouts that suggest obscure, imagined and surreal histories; strong hybrid forms for real but unknowable uses, objects through which I could place myself within various pasts so as to explore them better. This body of work, 'Mob of Hordes', was the outcome of my Developing Your Creative Practise' funding from Arts Council England, which included mentoring by writers Sacha Craddock and Manick Govinda.
EDUCATION
1975/8
University of East Anglia. Art History BA Hons
1996/7
Norfolk Institute of Art and Design. Fine Art M.A
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024
SPLITS Croatian Embassy, London
2023
SPLITS Prostor, Split, Croatia
2019
'HOBSON-JOBSON' The Museum of Legacies, Jaipur, India
2016
'EMERALD MUTTON' Nunnn's yard, Norwich
ROAR LIKE A PAINTBRUSH Udaipr City Palace, Rajasthan, India
2015
WHY THE LONG FACE Outpost Studios, Norwich
2013
REAL/NON-REAL Modern Art Oxford Project Space, Oxford
2011
OFFCUTTER The Queen of Hungary Project Space, Norfolk
2002
RE-ENACTMENTS The Queen of Hungary, Norwich
2000
BRITISH BULLDOG Stuffgallery, London
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025
WINTER SCULPTURE PARK Thames Leisure Park, curated by Gallery 32
2024
SILENT DISCO Wickham Market, Suffolk, curated by Graham Crowley
2023 SCULPTURE PARK Tacolneston hall, Norfolk, curated by Katie Utting
SAFE HOUSE 2 Peckham Festival, London, curated by Jagger&Johnson
ROYAL SOCIETY OF SCULPTORS, London, curated by Edward Bulmer
2022 UNSTABLE MONUMENTS Old Magistrates Court, Bristol curated by Jesse Leroy Smith
2021
YELLOW ARCHANGEL General Practise, Lincoln, curated by Paul Bramley
PLYMOUTH CONTEMPORARY 2021 KARST Gallery and Levinsky Gallery, selected by Dr Sarah Chapman, Ben Borthwick, Manick Govinda , Heather Phillipson, Dr Tom Baugh and Nicoletta Lambertucci
FANTASY OF HAVING A TRAILER WAGON TO MYSELF Gallery 46, London, curated by Tatiana de Stempel
2019
ARTWORKS OPEN 2019 Barbican Arts Group Trust, selected by Emma Talbot and Alex Schady
CONTEMPORARY BRITISH PAINTERS (shortlisted) Huddersfield Gallery, Yorkshire, selected by Grizelda Pollock, Grant Scanlan and Graham Crowley
CREEKSIDE OPEN, APT Studios, London Selected by Sacha Craddock
'AT THE END OF LINES' Original projects, Great Yarmouth Selected by Kaavous Clayton
2017 HEART BY MISTAKE, the India Club, with Roshan Chhabria
OPEM8 The Collection, Usher Gallery, Lincoln, selected by Brian Griffiths and Eleanor Morgan
WORD PLAY Forest Gate Arts Centre, curated by Sophie Rigg
2013
COURIERS OF TASTE Danson House, Bexleyheath, London. Curated by Day+Gluckman
2012
EMERGENCY Castlefield Gallery, Manchester. Curated by häbarts as part of Word of Warning FestivaL
AISLE AND AIR Cley Church. Curated by Isabel Vasseur
2011 /13
CONTEMPORARY CHINOISERIE Saltram House, Plymouth Museum. Curated by Eliza Gluckman
2011
FRIDAY LIVE Victoria & Albert Museum. Live Art. Curator Eliza Gluckman
MANCHESTER ART CRAWL Kraak Gallery, Manchester
SUMMERSALON Islington Arts Factory, London
2010/11
CARAPACE BURLESQUE De La Warr Pavillion, the Hospital Club London,Tristan Bates Theatre, Seven Dials Festival, the Junction, Cambridge
2009 /11
PRECIOUS Hove Museum, Sussex, touring to Platform Gallery, Clitheroe, Banbury Museum, Oxon,
Walford Mill Crafts, Dorset, The Gallery, Southampton University, Harley gallery, Notts
2010
LATE & LIVE Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts. Curated by Elizabeth Ballard
2009
THE GARDEN OF CYRUS Dragon Hall, Norwich. Curated by Dominique Rey
2008
CONTEMPORARY CHINOISERIE Collyer Bristow Gallery, London. Curators Gluckman & Day
2007
FRESH FESTIVAL Southill Parkpark, Bracknell. Curated by Richard Kingdom
2006
COASTAL CURRENTS FRESH Festival, Hastings, Sussex. Curated by Richard Kingdom
SPEND & MAKE Colchester Arts Centre. Curated by Ben and Holly
OFF Outpost Gallery, Norwich
PARADISE Paradise Gallery, Tehran, Iran
CHURCH ALE home SUFFOLK International Live Art Festival. Curated by Laura Godfrey-Isaacs, with Norfolk Living History Regiment
AIR-FIELD Seething air-field, Suffolk. Curated by Dominique Rey, advised by Eddie Chambers
2004
ARTLIGHTS Cromer, Norfolk. Curated by Commissionns East
GLASSHOUSE Cambourne Business Park, Cambridge. Curated by Beverley Carpenter
THE GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS Brockwell Park, London. Curated by Indra Khanna
2003
FLYPITCH Brixton Market, London. Curated by Indra Khanna
SALTHOUSE 03 Salthouse Church, Norfolk. Curated by Manuel Checuti
2002
CONFIRMATION St Peter Permentergate, Norfolk. Curated by Fiona Roberts
2002/4
ADVENTUROUS WILD FLOWERS Gallery Oldham, touring to 2-1 gallery Bolton, Dick Institute, Scarborough, Durham Gallery, Durham, Middlesborough Art Gallery, Middlesborough, Usher Gallery, Lincoln.
2001/2
A WORK OF ART IN ITSELF Bury Museum, Manchester
2001
EAST END LIVE The Rhythm Factory, London. Curated by Katherinew Packard
2001
EATOMSK Toynbee studios, London
2000/2
MOBILE LIBRARY PROJECT Lambeth libraries, London. Curated by Caroline Jupp
GUEST HOUSE 20 Sites around Sheffield. Curated by Judith Stewart
STUFFED Stuffgallery, Bethnal Green,London
1999/2000
SUBVERTED SUBURBIA Touring exhibition from Graceland Art Centre, Dumfries
LAUGH? I NEARLY Strangers’Hall Museum, Norwich
CHEERS British Lime House Gallery, USA
KETTLE’S YARD OPEN Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge. Selected by Phyllida Barlowe
1997
PAYROLL Elephant and Castle, London
FRESH Gallery Fresh, Greenwich, London
XEROX Norwich Gallery, Norwich. Curated by Kirsty Ogg
1995
ORIEL MOSTYN OPEN Oriel Mostyn Gallery, Llandudno
CLEVELAND DRAWING OPEN Cleveland
COLLECTIONS
Museum of Edinburgh; Bury Museum, Manchester; Gracelands Art Centre, Scarborough
Mrs Wendy Stamp, Mr Paul Booth, Mrs Penny Blake, Mrs Anthony Hudson , Mr John Woodhead, Mr and Mrs Greg Fisher, Ms Isabel Vasseur
SELECTED AWARDS & COMMISSIONS
2019 Arts Council England grant 'Develop Your Creative Practise'
2013 Real/Non-Real, Arts Council funded
2010 Sinopticon, Arts Council funded
Carapace Burlesque, Arts Council funded
2009 Precious, sculpture commission from Hove Museum
2007 Fresh Festival, commission for new work Arts Council funded
2005 British Bulldog, ACE award for performance at Church Ale Festival
Airfield, Arts Council funded ‘Radar’sculpture
2004 Artlights, commission from Commissions East
2002 Adventurous Wild Flowers, commission from Oldham Gallery
CURATING & PROGRAMMING
2019 The Art Practitioner, St. Mary's Works, Norwich, with Jacques Nimki. 23 national artists
2011 - 13. The Queen of Hungary Project Space, Norfolk, with Dominique Rey. Proigramme of self-funded exhibitions and talks
2009 Curator, Gathering Storm, Bayfield Hall, Norfolk. Paintings by 7 landscape painters
2007 Curator, Hearts of Oak, Taverham Hall School, Norfolk. Sculpture park with 12 artists, self-funded
2001/4 Curator of the Queen of Hungary gallery, Norwich. Self-funded artiast-le space in medieval building, showing work by 75 + artists
2003/4 Exhibition organizer ‘Field Day’, Waxham Great Barn, Norfolk. 16 artists and 16 scientists on self-funded expedtiion around the Broads
2004 Steering committee member of Outpost gallery, Norwich
2001/2 Steering committee member of Norwich Fringe Festival. 25 venues and 75 artists
1998/2000 Programming committee chair and exhibition organizer, Warehouse Artists’ Studios, Norwich
1998/9 Joint organizer of exhibitions with Emma Hathaway as Bad Mother, Strangers’ Hall Museum, Norwich
RESIDENCIES
2023 CULTURE HUB CROATIA, Split, Croatia
2015 OUTPOST STUDIOS, Norwich
2013 b]MUSEUM OF THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE, MEDICINE AND TECHNOLOGY Oxford
MODERN ART OXFORD PROJECT SPACE
2011 CHINESE ART CENTRE, Manchester. With Gayle Chong Kwan
2008 EUROPA STUDIOS, Tallinn, Estonia
1975/8
University of East Anglia. Art History BA Hons
1996/7
Norfolk Institute of Art and Design. Fine Art M.A
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2024
SPLITS Croatian Embassy, London
2023
SPLITS Prostor, Split, Croatia
2019
'HOBSON-JOBSON' The Museum of Legacies, Jaipur, India
2016
'EMERALD MUTTON' Nunnn's yard, Norwich
ROAR LIKE A PAINTBRUSH Udaipr City Palace, Rajasthan, India
2015
WHY THE LONG FACE Outpost Studios, Norwich
2013
REAL/NON-REAL Modern Art Oxford Project Space, Oxford
2011
OFFCUTTER The Queen of Hungary Project Space, Norfolk
2002
RE-ENACTMENTS The Queen of Hungary, Norwich
2000
BRITISH BULLDOG Stuffgallery, London
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025
WINTER SCULPTURE PARK Thames Leisure Park, curated by Gallery 32
2024
SILENT DISCO Wickham Market, Suffolk, curated by Graham Crowley
2023 SCULPTURE PARK Tacolneston hall, Norfolk, curated by Katie Utting
SAFE HOUSE 2 Peckham Festival, London, curated by Jagger&Johnson
ROYAL SOCIETY OF SCULPTORS, London, curated by Edward Bulmer
2022 UNSTABLE MONUMENTS Old Magistrates Court, Bristol curated by Jesse Leroy Smith
2021
YELLOW ARCHANGEL General Practise, Lincoln, curated by Paul Bramley
PLYMOUTH CONTEMPORARY 2021 KARST Gallery and Levinsky Gallery, selected by Dr Sarah Chapman, Ben Borthwick, Manick Govinda , Heather Phillipson, Dr Tom Baugh and Nicoletta Lambertucci
FANTASY OF HAVING A TRAILER WAGON TO MYSELF Gallery 46, London, curated by Tatiana de Stempel
2019
ARTWORKS OPEN 2019 Barbican Arts Group Trust, selected by Emma Talbot and Alex Schady
CONTEMPORARY BRITISH PAINTERS (shortlisted) Huddersfield Gallery, Yorkshire, selected by Grizelda Pollock, Grant Scanlan and Graham Crowley
CREEKSIDE OPEN, APT Studios, London Selected by Sacha Craddock
'AT THE END OF LINES' Original projects, Great Yarmouth Selected by Kaavous Clayton
2017 HEART BY MISTAKE, the India Club, with Roshan Chhabria
OPEM8 The Collection, Usher Gallery, Lincoln, selected by Brian Griffiths and Eleanor Morgan
WORD PLAY Forest Gate Arts Centre, curated by Sophie Rigg
2013
COURIERS OF TASTE Danson House, Bexleyheath, London. Curated by Day+Gluckman
2012
EMERGENCY Castlefield Gallery, Manchester. Curated by häbarts as part of Word of Warning FestivaL
AISLE AND AIR Cley Church. Curated by Isabel Vasseur
2011 /13
CONTEMPORARY CHINOISERIE Saltram House, Plymouth Museum. Curated by Eliza Gluckman
2011
FRIDAY LIVE Victoria & Albert Museum. Live Art. Curator Eliza Gluckman
MANCHESTER ART CRAWL Kraak Gallery, Manchester
SUMMERSALON Islington Arts Factory, London
2010/11
CARAPACE BURLESQUE De La Warr Pavillion, the Hospital Club London,Tristan Bates Theatre, Seven Dials Festival, the Junction, Cambridge
2009 /11
PRECIOUS Hove Museum, Sussex, touring to Platform Gallery, Clitheroe, Banbury Museum, Oxon,
Walford Mill Crafts, Dorset, The Gallery, Southampton University, Harley gallery, Notts
2010
LATE & LIVE Sainsbury Centre for Visual Arts. Curated by Elizabeth Ballard
2009
THE GARDEN OF CYRUS Dragon Hall, Norwich. Curated by Dominique Rey
2008
CONTEMPORARY CHINOISERIE Collyer Bristow Gallery, London. Curators Gluckman & Day
2007
FRESH FESTIVAL Southill Parkpark, Bracknell. Curated by Richard Kingdom
2006
COASTAL CURRENTS FRESH Festival, Hastings, Sussex. Curated by Richard Kingdom
SPEND & MAKE Colchester Arts Centre. Curated by Ben and Holly
OFF Outpost Gallery, Norwich
PARADISE Paradise Gallery, Tehran, Iran
CHURCH ALE home SUFFOLK International Live Art Festival. Curated by Laura Godfrey-Isaacs, with Norfolk Living History Regiment
AIR-FIELD Seething air-field, Suffolk. Curated by Dominique Rey, advised by Eddie Chambers
2004
ARTLIGHTS Cromer, Norfolk. Curated by Commissionns East
GLASSHOUSE Cambourne Business Park, Cambridge. Curated by Beverley Carpenter
THE GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS Brockwell Park, London. Curated by Indra Khanna
2003
FLYPITCH Brixton Market, London. Curated by Indra Khanna
SALTHOUSE 03 Salthouse Church, Norfolk. Curated by Manuel Checuti
2002
CONFIRMATION St Peter Permentergate, Norfolk. Curated by Fiona Roberts
2002/4
ADVENTUROUS WILD FLOWERS Gallery Oldham, touring to 2-1 gallery Bolton, Dick Institute, Scarborough, Durham Gallery, Durham, Middlesborough Art Gallery, Middlesborough, Usher Gallery, Lincoln.
2001/2
A WORK OF ART IN ITSELF Bury Museum, Manchester
2001
EAST END LIVE The Rhythm Factory, London. Curated by Katherinew Packard
2001
EATOMSK Toynbee studios, London
2000/2
MOBILE LIBRARY PROJECT Lambeth libraries, London. Curated by Caroline Jupp
GUEST HOUSE 20 Sites around Sheffield. Curated by Judith Stewart
STUFFED Stuffgallery, Bethnal Green,London
1999/2000
SUBVERTED SUBURBIA Touring exhibition from Graceland Art Centre, Dumfries
LAUGH? I NEARLY Strangers’Hall Museum, Norwich
CHEERS British Lime House Gallery, USA
KETTLE’S YARD OPEN Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge. Selected by Phyllida Barlowe
1997
PAYROLL Elephant and Castle, London
FRESH Gallery Fresh, Greenwich, London
XEROX Norwich Gallery, Norwich. Curated by Kirsty Ogg
1995
ORIEL MOSTYN OPEN Oriel Mostyn Gallery, Llandudno
CLEVELAND DRAWING OPEN Cleveland
COLLECTIONS
Museum of Edinburgh; Bury Museum, Manchester; Gracelands Art Centre, Scarborough
Mrs Wendy Stamp, Mr Paul Booth, Mrs Penny Blake, Mrs Anthony Hudson , Mr John Woodhead, Mr and Mrs Greg Fisher, Ms Isabel Vasseur
SELECTED AWARDS & COMMISSIONS
2019 Arts Council England grant 'Develop Your Creative Practise'
2013 Real/Non-Real, Arts Council funded
2010 Sinopticon, Arts Council funded
Carapace Burlesque, Arts Council funded
2009 Precious, sculpture commission from Hove Museum
2007 Fresh Festival, commission for new work Arts Council funded
2005 British Bulldog, ACE award for performance at Church Ale Festival
Airfield, Arts Council funded ‘Radar’sculpture
2004 Artlights, commission from Commissions East
2002 Adventurous Wild Flowers, commission from Oldham Gallery
CURATING & PROGRAMMING
2019 The Art Practitioner, St. Mary's Works, Norwich, with Jacques Nimki. 23 national artists
2011 - 13. The Queen of Hungary Project Space, Norfolk, with Dominique Rey. Proigramme of self-funded exhibitions and talks
2009 Curator, Gathering Storm, Bayfield Hall, Norfolk. Paintings by 7 landscape painters
2007 Curator, Hearts of Oak, Taverham Hall School, Norfolk. Sculpture park with 12 artists, self-funded
2001/4 Curator of the Queen of Hungary gallery, Norwich. Self-funded artiast-le space in medieval building, showing work by 75 + artists
2003/4 Exhibition organizer ‘Field Day’, Waxham Great Barn, Norfolk. 16 artists and 16 scientists on self-funded expedtiion around the Broads
2004 Steering committee member of Outpost gallery, Norwich
2001/2 Steering committee member of Norwich Fringe Festival. 25 venues and 75 artists
1998/2000 Programming committee chair and exhibition organizer, Warehouse Artists’ Studios, Norwich
1998/9 Joint organizer of exhibitions with Emma Hathaway as Bad Mother, Strangers’ Hall Museum, Norwich
RESIDENCIES
2023 CULTURE HUB CROATIA, Split, Croatia
2015 OUTPOST STUDIOS, Norwich
2013 b]MUSEUM OF THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE, MEDICINE AND TECHNOLOGY Oxford
MODERN ART OXFORD PROJECT SPACE
2011 CHINESE ART CENTRE, Manchester. With Gayle Chong Kwan
2008 EUROPA STUDIOS, Tallinn, Estonia
