Artist statement
Using industrial and mass-produced materials to construct illusory and seductive environments that simultaneously disorientate and undermine their superficial sense of optimism.
Spatial Conversations: exploring the work of Holly Rowan Hesson
Biography
Holly Rowan Hesson lives and works near Leeds, UK. She has exhibited in solo and group shows nationally over the last five years. Recent solo exhibitions include Echo, commissioned by Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival at Pyramid Arts Centre in 2017, New Work at & Model, Leeds in 2016 and Assembly at Bankley Gallery, Manchester in 2016 which was awarded after winning the Bankley Gallery Open.
Hesson was invited to exhibit with Paul Huxley RA by Royal Society of Sculptors for The Line London in 2018, included in the inaugural Coventry Biennial of Contemporary Art in 2017 and she was presented by Castlefield Gallery at The Manchester Contemporary in 2015. She was awarded membership and elected to the board of the Royal Society of Sculptors in 2019. In 2013 she received an MA in Contemporary Fine Art with Distinction from University of Salford.
Solo exhibitions
Echo, Pyramid, Warrington, 2017 (commissioned by Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival)
Assembly, Bankley Gallery, Manchester, 2016
New Work, & Model, Leeds, 2016
Only forward, Piccadilly Place, Manchester, 2013
Selected group exhibitions
Conversation in Colour, arebyte, London, 2018 (two person show with Paul Huxley RA curated by Royal Society of Sculptors for The Line)
Micro-commission, The Art House, Wakefield, 2018
Coventry Biennial of Contemporary Art, Coventry, 2017
Creekside Open, A.P.T Gallery, London, 2017 (selected by Jordan Baseman, artist and Head of Sculpture at RCA)
Graft, PS Mirabel, Manchester, 2017
Phantom, Ruskin Gallery, Cambridge, 2017
Spectrum, PS Mirabel, Manchester, 2016 (selected by Mark Doyle, Gallery Curator and Collections Manager at Touchstones, Magnus Quaife, artist and lecturer, Robert Miller, contemporary art collector, Lisa Denyer, artist)
The Manchester Contemporary, presented by Castlefield Gallery, Manchester, 2015
Tracing PAPER, PAPER Gallery, Manchester, 2015
Open House, Federation House, Manchester, 2015
Glitter & Gold, Cardroom, Manchester, 2014
Bankley Open, Bankley Gallery, Manchester, 2014 (selected by Kate Jesson, Curator at Manchester Art Gallery, Kwong Lee, Director at Castlefield Gallery, Chris Bloor, Co-director at &Model gallery, Peter Seal, artist)
HOARD, HOARD, Leeds, 2014
Society of Island Universes, Piccadilly Place, Manchester, 2014
Artifice, PS Mirabel, Manchester, 2013
Catalyst, Piccadilly Place, Manchester, 2013
Saatchi Screen, Saatchi Gallery, London, 2013
Summer Show, Malgras Naudet, Manchester, 2013
Journeys and Migrations, Hand Made in Bradford, Bradford, 2012
Reverb, Bankley Gallery, Manchester, 2012
Awards
Board Member of Royal Society of Sculptors, 2019
Member of Royal Society of Sculptors, 2019
A-n Artist Bursary, 2019
Oppenheim-John Downes Memorial Trust Award, 2018
Arts Council England Grants for the Arts award, 2017
PS Mirabel Open prize commendation (selected by Mark Doyle, Gallery Curator and Collections Manager at Touchstones, Magnus Quaife, artist and lecturer at MMU, Robert Miller, contemporary art collector, Lisa Denyer, artist), 2016
A-n Professional Development Bursary, 2016
Oppenheim-John Downes Memorial Trust Award, 2016
Arts Council England Grants for the Arts award, 2015
Castlefield Gallery/ Creative Industries Trafford individual mentoring award, 2015
Tracing PAPER by PAPER Gallery award, 2015
Bankley Gallery Open first prize winner (selected by Kate Jesson, Curator at Manchester Art Gallery, Kwong Lee, Director at Castlefield Gallery, Chris Bloor, Co-director at &Model gallery, Peter Seal, artist), 2014
Residencies
AA2A artist in residence, York St John University, 2018-9
& Model residency, & Model, Leeds, 2016
From the Rooftops, The Penthouse, Manchester, 2013
Writing
Spatial Conversations: exploring the work of Holly Rowan Hesson - Sara Jaspan, 2017
Precarious Aesthetics: on the recent work of Holly Rowan Hesson - Derek Horton, 2016
Press
Axisweb - Five2Watch: Installation, 2018
Art in Liverpool - Featured Artist: Holly Rowan Hesson at Pyramid Arts Centre, 2017
Corridor8 - Holly Rowan Hesson: Echo | Pyramid Arts Centre, 2017
This is tomorrow - Coventry Biennial of Contemporary Art review, 2017
A-n - Coventry Biennial 2017 review: a springboard for new responses, 2017
Creative Tourist - Graft at PS Mirabel, 2017
Axisweb – Five to Watch at The Manchester Contemporary, 2015
Axisweb – Artist of the Month, Holly Rowan Hesson, 2015
Corridor8 – Review: Holly Rowan Hesson – Residency, The Penthouse, Manchester, 2013
Education
MA Contemporary Fine Art (Distinction), University of Salford, 2013
Certificate in Art and Design (Distinction), Calderdale College, 2010
Projects and marketing consultancy
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