Approved: 05.10.2018

Zena Blackwell

Artist

Approved: 05.10.2018

I am a painter based in Cardiff, Wales, UK. I exhibit regularly and have work in private collections around the World. I completed my MA in Fine Art at Central Saint Martins, London, and my BA at Wimbledon College of Art. 

My practice investigates the mad, anxiety-ridden and messy moments of raising children and keeping house. I present playful and colourful paintings that scrutinise the wide-ranging

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      Artist Statement

      I am a painter based in Cardiff, Wales, UK. I exhibit regularly and have work in private collections around the World. I completed my MA in Fine Art at Central Saint Martins, London, and my BA at Wimbledon College of Art. 

      My practice investigates the mad, anxiety-ridden and messy moments of raising children and keeping house. I present playful and colourful paintings that scrutinise the wide-ranging spectrum of emotions experienced in motherhood. My work can be beautiful and humorous but also sinister and menacing, often leaving a heavy feeling of disquiet. My paintings have been described as being ‘psychologically charged'. 

      I presented my first solo show consisting of over 30 works at Cardiff MADE in November 2018 after winning first prize in the Summer Open Exhibition the year before (for which I secured a £5k Arts Council of Wales Award). The exhibition was included in a list of the top 5 UK exhibitions by a-n magazine and Wales Arts Review included it in a top 10 list of the best Welsh Visual Arts for 2018. I was selected to exhibit at Y Lle Celf at the Eisteddfod in 2018 which was held at the Senedd (Welsh National Assembly building), Cardiff Bay

      CV & Education

      CV

      Education
      Turps Correspondence Course (2021-22)
      MA Fine Art Central Saint Martins, London, UK
      BA Fine Art (hons) Wimbledon College of Art, London, UK

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      Collections
      National Library of Wales
      Work in private collections in USA, France, Japan, Australia and UK. 
       

      Awards and Grants
      2022
      Shortlisted for the BEEP Painting Prize
       
      2021
      Shortlisted for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2021
      Arts Council of Wales 'Create' Award of £2025 for Turps Correspondence Course 2021-22

      2020
      Arts Council of Wales £10,000 awarded to Contemporary Cymru for HOUSEHOLD NAME
      Arts Council of England £3,800 awarded to Contemporary Cymru for HOUSEHOLD NAME 

      2019
      3rd prize PAINT at PS Mirabel, Manchester

      2018
      Arts Council of Wales Grant of £5000 towards the cost of 'Seen Not Heard'

      2017
      1st prize Cardiff MADE Summer Open


      Exhibitions

      Solo Shows: 
      2022
      A Delicate Balance : Solo show at Canfas, Cardigan
      2018
      Seen Not Heard: Solo Exhibition at Cardiff MADE, Cardiff

      Group Shows:

      UPCOMING & CURRENT:

      The Hearth Gallery, Llandough Hospital (11.10 - 21.11.22)

      THE OTHER ART FAIR, Truman Brewery, London (13 - 16.10)

      Catalyst: Painters from the Turps Banana Correspondence Course, Oriel Canfas, Cardiff (21.10.- 6.11.22)

      Art on a Postcard Auction, London (27.10 - 10.11)

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      2022

      A Generous Space, Hastings Contemporary, Hastings 

      A Room of Her Own, Irving Contemporary, Oxford

      BEEP Painting Prize 2022, Elysium Gallery, Swansea 

      Collecting - exhibition of new acquisitions at The National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth 

      Otherworlds at Cardiff MADE, Cardiff 

      A Women's Place is Everywhere, The Cello Factory, London

      Draw : Wales, Wales Week in London
      I contributed a drawing for a sketchbook feat. work by prominent Welsh artists inc. Shani Rhys James & Kevin Sinnott auctioned for Velindre 

      Made in Roath open @g39, Cardiff 

      The Sketchbook at Llantarnum Grange, Cwmbran 

      Y Lle Celf, National Eisteddfod, Tregaron, Cardigan 

      Body, Stitch, Soul at Studio Cennen, Llandeilo

      A Celebration of Welsh Contemporary Painting at Red House, Merthyr Tydfil 
      Ebb and Flow, Studio Cennen, Llandeilo

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      2021

      Truth : Myth : Dreams at Studio Cennen, Llandeilo 

      Cardiff MADE Winter Exhibition at Cardiff MADE, Cardiff
      Without Borders - Elysium Gallery (the exhibition traveled to Japan, Norway, USA, Venice, Canada, and back to Wales)
      Household Name Virtual Exhibition 
      Household Name: Group show curated by Contemporary Cymru
      Elysium Gallery, Swansea  with Laura Ford, Cherry Pickles, Zoë Gingell, Fern Thomas, Adele Vye and Raji Salan
      Cambium at Cardiff MADE

      2020
      Coming Up For Air - Oriel Canfas, Cardiff  (part of BEEP Biennial) 

      Telling Tales  (Three person show with Lara Davies and Rhiannon Davies) - Bay Art, Cardiff 

      Arcade Studio Exhibition at Arcade Campfa, Cardiff 

      A View From The Edge : Contemporary Landscape in the Digital Age, Cardiff MADE

      2019
      Cardiff MADE Winter Show
      AGORED19 at Galeri, Caernarfon
      Present X Correct showcase by Contemporary Cymru at Corsica Studios, London
      Y Lle Celf at The Eisteddfod, Llanrwst
      PAINT at PS Mirabel, Manchester (awarded 3rd prize)
      Empower Me! at g39, Cardiff
      Arcade Studios at Bath Fringe Arts Festival, Bath
      Tactile Bosch in Japan, Korea and Taiwan
      The Mutterscream: Crepuscular Lush, Jacob’s Market, Cardiff
      Viridis: Spring Show at Cardiff MADE

      2018
      Winter Show: Cardiff MADE
      CSAD Auction at g39, Cardiff
      Seen Not Heard: Solo Exhibition at Cardiff MADE, Cardiff
      Made in Roath Open at g39, Cardiff
      Y lle Celf, The Eisteddfod, Senedd, Cardiff
      Filia (feminist conference in Manchester. Exhibition traveled to Sao Paulo, Brazil)

      2017
      Ankle Biters at Made in Roath, Cardiff
      MADE Summer Open Exhibition, Cardiff, curated by Zoe Gingell (won 1st Prize)

      2016
      ‘Domestic Bliss’ at Made in Roath, Cardiff

      2012
      ‘ArtLabBern’ Switzerland: My Beautiful Son project, Bern, Switzerland
      Clit Rock’ My film Pleasure Max was shown at this regular anti-FGM event, London

      2011
      Central Saint Martins MA Degree show, London
      New Pretenders’ Bargehouse, London (Interim MA degree show)

      Pre-2010
      Selected works at The Glass Bar, London
      ‘Slap & Tickle’ at The Yard Bar, London (curated)
      Wimbledon Library group show

      Open Studios
      2019
      Cardiff Open Studios
      2016
      Cardiff Contemporary Open Studios
      Made in Roath Festival Open Studios

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      Press/Printed/Online/Books/Interviews
      2021

      Poetry Wales - 2020 #4 featured on the cover of the Summer 2021 issue
      Axisweb - New Art Highlights
      Axisweb - Five 2 Watch
      Saatchi Art - The Color Catalogue (digital & printed copies distributed to 250K US collectors)
      Photographed by Bernard Mitchell for the Wales Arts Archive
      Obsessed With Art - Bathroom Art - ‘Fibre, Back, Plastic’ featured

      2020
      FAD - Preview of HOUSEHOLD NAME

      Chapter Arts Newsletter - highlighting 6 artists taking part in #artistsupportpledge

      2019
      The London Reader
      Axisweb - Highlights (December)
      Together and Sunspell – interview and photos
      Axisweb – one of five painters to watch (January)
      Axisweb – Highlights (April)

      2018
      A-N – ‘Seen Not Heard’ included in Top 5 UK exhibitions of the week
      Western Mail Newspaper - double page feature
      Wales Arts Review – feature
      Wales Arts Review – included in a list of 10 of the Best of Welsh Visual Arts 2018
      Around Town Magazine ‘Cardiff People’
      Galleries Magazine
      Cardiff Students
      Buzz Magazine
      Cardiff Times review of Seen Not Heard
      BBC Wales – Eisteddfod review mention.
      ‘Painting of the Day’ - Contemporary British Painting
      Axisweb - Highlights
      Saatchi Art – Curated collection
      Cardiff Life Magazine
      Radio Cardiff ‘Pitch Illustration Radio’ hour-long interview
      2017
      Cardiff Life Magazine
      ‘Under the Radar’ - Artslant global mailout
      Lumin Journal
      ‘Painting of the Day’ Contemporary British Painting
      2009
      Flying Graphics, Monsa, Barcelona
      2008
      Fly By Night, Thames & Hudson, London

      Historical
      a-n Magazine Degree Show Special

      Misc
      2017-present day – Founded Contemporary Cymru
      2010-2013: Curated the Art in the Bar programme at Corsica Studios
      2011: Tour guide at the Hayward Gallery for Tracey Emin retrospective
      2009-2012: – Assistant to Sacha Craddock
      2007 – 2011: – Assistant to Frith Street Gallery Director, Jane Hamlyn
      2005: Judge and award presenter at The London Short Film Festival, ICA, London
      2000: Showcased recent work on the TV series ‘Young, Gifted & Broke’