About
Synopsis of works
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.
Beginning with my MA in 1997, my involvement in an antiques business drew me to make a series of uncanny ‘furniture’ inspired by Freud’s house and Victorian church furnishings (Kettle’s Yard Open, Salthouse Open,
Attraction to strong but mysterious forms led me to gravitate towards WW2 ordance ('British Bulldog' performed at ‘STUFF, ‘Church Ale festival with homeLondon at Rishangles, ‘Coastal Currents’ and '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' at Modern Art Oxford, the Museum of Science, Medecine and Technology in Oxford, Castlefield gallery, Manchester, Fresh Festival, Brockwell Park).
Concurrently I had, since 2003, been fascinated by the rise of China, by the East India Companies and the history of European chinoiserie. This resoted in sculptures constructed and decorated in rococco styles ('Flypitch', ‘OFF, Outpost gallery, 'Sinopticon' ‘Precious’, Hove Museum, ‘Couriers of Taste’ at Danson House).
In 2015 I visited India where I found out about the British Raj, studio photography and Mughal painting. The small paintings produced at this time quickly mutated into life-size wooden cutouts and expanded paintings. These riffed on the language of display and uniforms, the politics of posing and the Gaze (‘Roar Like a Paintbrush’, ‘Opem8’ at the Usher gallery, ‘Hobson-Jobson’ at the Museum of Legacies).
I also initiated an ongoing conversation with an artist from Baroda, swapping ideas and images. From these came collaborative wall-drawings and exhibitions including ‘Heart by Mistake’ at the India Club, ‘Fantasy of Having a Trailer Wagon’ Gallery 46, and ‘Thinking Through Drawing’ at Cromer Artspace.
In 2019 I was awarded ACE’s DYCP and began 'Born in a Museum', an ongoing collection of lifesize wooden cutouts drawn on Raj photos, Mughal miniatures, Pop art and Commedia dell'Arte stage sets (‘Contemporary British Painting’, ‘Plymouth Open’, ‘Yellow Archangel’, and ‘Strange Feelings’).
A self-initiated residency in Split resulted in my current series of portrait busts and more abstract architectural pieces based on drawings of the Roman city (‘Flatpackers’, Prostor gallery, Split, and ‘Splits’, Embassy of Croatia).
In 2024 First Site Collectors’ Club gave Me and awards to support lessons in construction from a caroenter. This enabled me to translate two of my flat sculptures in large, robust 3D sculptures suitable for outdoor public display (‘Winter Sculpture Park 25’mwith Gallery 32 and ‘Svulpture at the Grove’ with Cromer Artspace).
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.
Beginning with my MA in 1997, my involvement in an antiques business drew me to make a series of uncanny ‘furniture’ inspired by Freud’s house and Victorian church furnishings (Kettle’s Yard Open, Salthouse Open,
Attraction to strong but mysterious forms led me to gravitate towards WW2 ordance ('British Bulldog' performed at ‘STUFF, ‘Church Ale festival with homeLondon at Rishangles, ‘Coastal Currents’ and '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' at Modern Art Oxford, the Museum of Science, Medecine and Technology in Oxford, Castlefield gallery, Manchester, Fresh Festival, Brockwell Park).
Concurrently I had, since 2003, been fascinated by the rise of China, by the East India Companies and the history of European chinoiserie. This resoted in sculptures constructed and decorated in rococco styles ('Flypitch', ‘OFF, Outpost gallery, 'Sinopticon' ‘Precious’, Hove Museum, ‘Couriers of Taste’ at Danson House).
In 2015 I visited India where I found out about the British Raj, studio photography and Mughal painting. The small paintings produced at this time quickly mutated into life-size wooden cutouts and expanded paintings. These riffed on the language of display and uniforms, the politics of posing and the Gaze (‘Roar Like a Paintbrush’, ‘Opem8’ at the Usher gallery, ‘Hobson-Jobson’ at the Museum of Legacies).
I also initiated an ongoing conversation with an artist from Baroda, swapping ideas and images. From these came collaborative wall-drawings and exhibitions including ‘Heart by Mistake’ at the India Club, ‘Fantasy of Having a Trailer Wagon’ Gallery 46, and ‘Thinking Through Drawing’ at Cromer Artspace.
In 2019 I was awarded ACE’s DYCP and began 'Born in a Museum', an ongoing collection of lifesize wooden cutouts drawn on Raj photos, Mughal miniatures, Pop art and Commedia dell'Arte stage sets (‘Contemporary British Painting’, ‘Plymouth Open’, ‘Yellow Archangel’, and ‘Strange Feelings’).
A self-initiated residency in Split resulted in my current series of portrait busts and more abstract architectural pieces based on drawings of the Roman city (‘Flatpackers’, Prostor gallery, Split, and ‘Splits’, Embassy of Croatia).
In 2024 First Site Collectors’ Club gave Me and awards to support lessons in construction from a caroenter. This enabled me to translate two of my flat sculptures in large, robust 3D sculptures suitable for outdoor public display (‘Winter Sculpture Park 25’mwith Gallery 32 and ‘Svulpture at the Grove’ with Cromer Artspace).
* ACE funded
EDUCATION
1975/8
University of East Anglia. Art History BA HonsMe and awards to finance
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
2026
THE OLD PARCEL OFFICE OPEN, Scarborough
2025
* WINTER SCULPTURE PARK Thames Leisure Park, curated by Gallery 32
SUMMER CONTEMPORARY OPEN, Snape Maltings Gallery
SCULPTURE AT THE GROVE, Cromer, Norfolk
2024
SILENT DISCO Wickham Market, Suffolk, curated by Graham Crowley
2023
*STRANGE FEELINGS 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
EDUCATION
1975/8
University of East Anglia. Art History BA HonsMe and awards to finance
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
2026
THE OLD PARCEL OFFICE OPEN, Scarborough
2025
* WINTER SCULPTURE PARK Thames Leisure Park, curated by Gallery 32
SUMMER CONTEMPORARY OPEN, Snape Maltings Gallery
SCULPTURE AT THE GROVE, Cromer, Norfolk
2024
SILENT DISCO Wickham Market, Suffolk, curated by Graham Crowley
2023
*STRANGE FEELINGS 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
