Emma Wood was born in 1967 in Pinellas, Florida and was raised from the age of six in Matlock Derbyshire. 

Key concerns for Emma are around energy, rhythm, movement and time. The transience of the moment is interesting to her, and key to exploring something that reveals itself and disappears in the blink of an eye, is the process of defining and obliterating. To explore her world, she stiches together momentary observations with information that has been absorbed over her lifetime including animals from her rural upbringing, comic books and television. Emma is chasing the visceral and she is interested in the type of mark where the action that made them resonates, such an oil spill, the back of a van with a message in the dirt or a hurried graffiti tag. Emma is exploring actions such as sliding scraping and skidding and she is also interested in pushing surfaces to their limits.

Emma studied Graphic Design at Leeds Polytechnic followed by Fine Art at the Slade School of Art. She works extensively in printmaking, painting and mixed media and has received numerous prizes in the UK, exhibited internationally and has participated in residencies in Bulgaria, Portugal, Wales, Montenegro, Spain and Macau.

 

 

Education

PGCE ‘Post-Compulsory Education

Institute of Education, University of London. 2007

 

Post Graduate Diploma in Fine Art.

Slade School of Art, University College London. 1993

 

B.A Hons, Graphic Design 

Leeds Polytechnic. 1989

 

Diploma in Art Foundation

Chesterfield College of Technology & Art. 1986

 

Exhibitions

2021   Summer Show, Royal Academy

2019   Summer Show, Royal Academy

          National Print Exhibition Royal Society of Painter Printmakers, Bankside Gallery

2017   “Art Dulcinium” Gallery of old town Ulcinji, Montenegro

“Process space” “Momentum” Canetti House Ruse, Bulgaria

2016   “Invasion Manual” Art Lacuna, London

“Altarpiece of ONIR” Círculo de Arte de Toledo, Spain

“Process Space” “Arsenal” Canetti House & 6 Borisova street, Ruse, Bulgaria

2015   “I am Woman” International contemporary art centre in Casoria, Naples, Italy

2013   “Group Show” Casa de la Cultura de Elvas, Portugal

“Arts Depot Open” Finchley, London

2012   “Group Show” Casa de la Cultura de Elvas, Portugal

“CAMouflage” Salzburg, Austria

2011   “Casa das Artes de Tavira”  Lisboa, Portugal

2010   “4 person show”. Invited by Kunstverein Baden, Austria.

2009   “2 person show” with Penny Brewill Slade School of Art University College, London

“Biennale” Neaudd Goffa Harlech, Wales

          “Wonderland” International contemporary art centre Casoria, Naples Italy.

2008   “Art Dulcinium” Gallery of old town Ulcinji, Montenegro

“Breathe – group Show” East Thames gallery, London

2007   “National Print Exhibition” Mall Galleries, London

2006   “Finchley arts festival” London

“100 Artists for a Museum “International contemporary art centre in Casoria, Naples, Italy

2005   “National Print Exhibition” Mall Galleries, London

“NEXO Collaboration” Toledo. Spain

2004   “International Print biennial” Bejing

“South Bank Show” Bristol

2003   “National Print Exhibition”, Mall Galleries, London

“North London Hospice Group show” Lauderdale House, London

2002   “National Print Exhibition” Mall Galleries, London

“North London Hospice Group show” Lauderdale House, London

2001   “Everyday Less Ordinary Group” Soho House, London

“Amadora International Print Exhibition” Portugal.

 “International Exhibition of Prints.” Macau

Royal Institute of Oil Painters Mall Galleries London

2000   “Soho 601 Group” London

“North London Hospice Group show” Lauderdale House, London

1999   Six Artists Insitvto Portvgves Do Oriente Macau, China

          Solo show Supported by the Milly Apthorp Charitable Trust Bull Gallery Barnet London

Amadora International Print Exhibition, Portugal

1998   Taveria Print Studio – Group Show with Bartolomeu dos Santos, Portugal

1997   National Print Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London

Apthorp Young Artists Exhibition, London

1996   National Print Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London

Art multiple, Dusseldorf, Germany

1995   Solo Show, Rocket Gallery, London W1

National Print Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London

National Print Exhibition, Whiteleys Gallery, London

1994   3 Person Show, Rocket Gallery, London W1             

Summer Exhibition Royal Academy, London

National Print Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London

Royal West of England National Print Exhibition, Bristol

Solo Show Macau Polytechnic Institute Macau, China

3 Person Show St Marylebone Crypt, London

1991   Group Exhibition Eastthorpe gallery Yorkshire

          Intaglio Gallery open, Islington London

Amadora International Print Exhibition, Portugal

National Print Exhibition Bankside Gallery, London

Selected Prints, Shad Themes Gallery, London  

Paperworks open, Seagate Galleries, Dundee                             

Royal West of England Academy Open, Bristol                               

London Print Workshop Group Exhibition, London              

Group Exhibition, Courtauld Institute, London

New English Art Club Open, Mall Galleries, London

1990   Young Printmaker of the Year, CCA Galleries, Bath & London

 

Awards and Prizes

CCA Galleries London Young Printmaker of the Year, First Prize 1990

National Print Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London

National Print Exhibition, St Cuthberts Paper Prize. 1994

Fundação Oriente, Travel Grant for Macau China. 1994

National Print Exhibition, Whatman International Paper Prize. 1995

Milly Apthorp charitable Trust, First Prize 1997

 

Bartolomeu Cid dos Santos Print Workshop. Tavira, Portugal  

Honorary Member Since 2012

 

Artists Residences

1. •Residency Process Space “Momentum” Bulgaria Ruse 2017
   

2. •Residency  “Art Dulcinium” Montenegro 2017
   

3. •Residency Process Space “Arsenal” Bulgaria Ruse 2016
   

4. •Residency Ligaçao Portugal 2012
   

5. •Residency  “Harlech Biennale” Wales 2009
   

6. •Residency  “Art Dulcinium” Montenegro 2008
   

7. •Residency Barnet College 2007
   

8. •Residency  “Nexo” Todelo Spain. 2005
   

 

Collections

·         London Borough of Barnet. (Work on Permanent Display in the leader of the council’s head office Town Hall, Hendon)

·         University College London Strang Print Room

·         “Amadora International Print Exhibition” Portugal. (Work collected Permanently)

·         “NEXO Collaboration” Toledo. Spain- (Work Collected permanently in Toledo government collection)

·         2004 “International Print biennial” Bejing Work collected by the Beijing Tai-he Masterpiece Cultural Exchange

·         “100 Artists for a Museum” Exhibition International contemporary art centre in Casoria, Naples Italy.  Work collected permanently 2006

·         “Wonderland” International contemporary art centre in Casoria, Naples Italy.  Work collected permanently 2010

 

Grants:

1. •Fundacao Orient, Travel Grant for Macau, China. 1994
   

2. •Bull Gallery London Solo Show 1999. Generation of body of work sponsored by the Milly Apthorp Charitable trust
   

3. •Kunstverein Baden Austria 2010  Exhibition. Travel and all costs covered by Kunstverein
   

 

Selected Publications

Royal Academy Summer Show catalogue 1994

Printmaking today Volume 4 Number 3 1995

Contemporary Art magazine Winter 1994

 

Other Experience

Research assistant Slade School of Art: 1995 to 1996

Artists Assistant Prof. Bartolomeu Dos Santos. Commission to make large scale etched stone panels for Macau Museum, 1995

Resident Artist & Guest Lecturer Macau Polytechnic, China: 1994. (Experience written up in Printmaking today Volume 4. Number 3. 1995)

Current Employment

Art Foundation Leader - West Herts College Watford

Slade Summer School - Slade School of Art UCL Tutor ‘Intensive Foundation’ and ‘Colour in Practice’ Programmes

University of the Arts Awarding Body - External Moderator

Previous Employment

Blake College, London W1 - Head of Art Foundation and Printmaking and Painting specialist Tutor 1998 - 2016

Leeds Metropolitan University - Associate Lecturer (1999 - 2016)

Artists Statement

The making of my recent work has been driven by the urge to identify a truth that exists within the flux of the city. In order to explore the nature of structures of interdependence within societies and human relationship with environment, I imagine that I am slicing through the city’s oxidised crust; lifting up architectural shells and fusing different moments of time in order to explore new rhythms and narratives. 

An important aspect of my work is seeing and recording energy and rhythm and often I will attempt to explore and represent my subject by focusing on the way that it moves. The transience of the moment is interesting to me and key to exploring something that reveals itself and disappears in the blink of an eye, is the process of defining and obliterating and working in an impulsive expressive way.

I have accepted that the “truth” that I seek is in fact in my head! To explore this world, I stitch together observations that I see momentarily with information that has been absorbed over my lifetime and I have allowed creatures and scenarios to emerge from blobs of paint and texture. At this point I am actively drawing information from some of the early influences in my life such as the animals in the rural environment that I was brought up in, comic books and television.

Emma Siobhan Wood