Biography
Sarah Rhys is an interdisciplinary artist living and working in rural Carmarthenshire.
Sarah initially specialised in Architectural Glass at Swansea School of Art. Later she qualified as a Design Technology teacher/lecturer, teaching D.T and Art for many years in Bristol schools and post 16 colleges as well as running freelance art workshops.
Sarah was awarded an MFA at Bath Spa University in 2004 and later gained a Post-graduate Diploma in Multi-Disciplinary Printmaking at The University of the West of England, Bristol (2013). Sarah completed an Art Therapy Foundation course at The University of South Wales (2015).
Sarah is a member of PLaCE international , Space Place Practice and is a Spike Island Associate.
Seminar at The Centre for Fine Print Research at The University of the West of England, Bristol 2022
Charcoal Tree, an installation and event at Kampa Sculpture Par, Prague. 2016
Al Mutanabbi Street Inventory . A touring artist book project curated by Sarah Bodman
‘Deep Map’ and ‘Red Book of Bristol’ * for Walking in the City, exhibition and symposium. Parlour Show Rooms, Bristol 2013
*Red Book of Bristol was made in collaboration with artist Sue Maude
Selected Exhibitions and Events
2024 Crossings and Driftings/Croesi a Crwydro exhibition with era Boele-Keimer at Oriel Archipelago
2024 Estuary scapes-weekend events; walk and symposium. Residency project part of Croft Lab at The Laundrette, Bristol
2024 Croft Lab, on site residency. Space Place Practice. The Laundrette Bristol. August
2024 To and Fro Exhibition . Space Place Practice, Fringe Art Bath. May
2024 Geo-Morph Residency at Studio Elms, Llansteffan
2024 Geo-Morph Residency at The Laundrette January 2024
2023 Geo-Morph Residency at ‘Spike Island Studios’, Bristol. October
2023 RWA Open Exhibition , Bristol. September 23-Jan 24
2023 HON event and talk at ‘Twr y Felin’, Fishguard, Wales. August 20th
2023 Geo-Morph Residency Stroud Valley ARTSpace. August 1-6th
2023 ‘Ffyngau’ Rersidency at ‘The Garage Studio’, Bristol.
2023 Without Borders Oriel CARN, Caernarfon June
2023 Spike Island Open Studios. Bristol
2023 HON event at The National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth.
2023 Materiality Symposium ‘Super Sewer’ at Spike Island, Bristol
2022 HON artist talk and book launch, Josef Herman Art Foundation, Ystradgynlais
2022 HON artist talk and book launch, Narberth Museum
2022 Cryptic Landscape. Studio 40, Spike island, Bristol
2022 Spike Island Open Studios, Bristol
2022 Tree of Life. Group show at Studio Cennen, Llandeilo
2022 Talk on Cryptic Landscape for Spike Associates at Spike Island, Bristol
2022 David Greenslade and Collaborators. Group show Volcano Gallery, Swansea
2022 Seminar on Cryptic Landscape for Centre for Fine Print Research (CFPR) University of West of England , Bristol
2021-22 Cryptic Landscape The National Botanic Garden of Wales.
2021 Dark Skies;Wild Seas residency in Coverack, Cornwall
2021 Without Borders. Art Spot Korin Kyoto. Touring artist book project
2021-22 Holobiont A collaborative project with a series of events at Spike Island, Bristol and Studio Cennen, Llandeilo
2021 Without Borders. Elysium Gallery, Swansea. Touring artist book project
2020 Dustscape. Projection at Soapworks Bristol
2020 TAPS NOW at Kosar Contemporary, Bristol
2020 ‘In Free Fall’, a collaborative installation at Centre of Gravity. Soapworks, Bristol
2020 Place:Soapworks publication by Space Place Practice, shown at Centre of Gravity, Soapworks, Bristol
2020 Alumni Show. Bath Spa University, Bath
2019 Loss & Lucidity, group show at Fabrica Braco de Prata, Lisbon, Portugal
2019 Behind the Scenes Studio talk to public at Spike Island, Bristol
2019 Hidden, group exhibition in Fringe Arts Bath.
2019 Spike Island Open Studios. Bristol
2019 BEEF (Bristol Experimental Expanded Film) members screening at Brunswick Club, Bristol
2018. Show-reel Re-emergence project for National Trust Wales at National Eisteddfod, Cardiff
2018 Black Mountain College – a celebration. A Glasfryn Project, Crickhowell, Powys
2018 An Expanded View of Drawing . Group show. Riverfront Art Centre, Newport
2018 Gogoneddus Ach-y-Fi. Group show. Cardiff Metropolitan University
2017-18 Coal Tree Salt Sea, artist book showcased at Centre for Fine Print Research, University of West of England, Bristol
2017 RWA Open Exhibition Royal Academy of West of England , Bristol
2017 Library of Pilgrimages and Something of Place. Double group show by ‘Space Place Practice’. Trowbridge Art Centre, Wiltshire.
2017 Coal Tree Salt Sea, Oriel Q, Narberth, Pembrokeshire
2017 Liminal Presence. Oriel Fach @ Oriel Q, Narberth, Pembrokeshire
2017 Photocopy Show. Spike Island, Bristol.
2017 DRAWN. Royal West of England Academy, Bristol
2017 ‘Kunstlerbucher fur Alles’ (Artists’ books for everything). Museum of Modern Art, Bremen, Germany
2017 Coal Tree Salt Sea. Abergavenny Museum, Monmouthshire.
2016 Beyond the Page, Allsop gallery, Bridport Dorset.
2016 Oriel A r c i p e l a g o , National Eisteddfod, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire
2016 Coal Tree Salt Sea, Arcade Cardiff, Cardiff
2016 Liminal Presence, Mission Gallery, Swansea
2016 Sacred Art : Journey to the Numinous group exhibition. Aberglasney House and Gardens, Carmarthenshire, Wales
2016 Al Mutanabbi Street Inventory touring artist book exhibition. The Basile Gallery at Herron School of Art, IUPUI University Indiana, and then George Mason University, Fairfax Virginia. USA
2015 Mari Lwyd exhibition and event, The Art Chapel, Abergavenny, Monmouthshire
2015 Coal Tree Artist residency exhibition at The Josef Herman Art Foundation Cymru, Ystradgynlais, Powys
2015 Coal Tree. Installation in the landscape, Cwmgiedd, Ystradgynlais, Powys
2015 Coal Tree Mini residency at The Mission Gallery, Swansea
2015 ‘Something of Place‘ Group exhibition. Aberystwyth University Art Gallery, Ceredigion
2015 ‘Artist Residency’ exhibition at The Josef Herman Art Foundation Cymru, Ystradgynlais, Powys
2014 ‘Winter Show 2014′ Oriel Barker Gallery, Pontypool Museum, Torfaen
2014 ‘Narrative and Place’ event for CIVIC@ Cardiff Contemporary
2014 ‘First Impressions‘ Group exhibition with The Out of Print Collective, The Create Centre Gallery, Bristol
2013 ‘Drawn’ group exhibition. ‘All Day Breakfast Gallery’ Broadmead, Bristol
2013 ‘Deep mapping’ exhibition at University of West of England gallery
2013 Sheffield International Artists’ Book Exhibition, Sheffield
2013 ‘Deep mapping’ for the ‘walking in the city’ (In The City Series 3) Commissioned by PLaCE and The Showrooms Project. Parlour Show Rooms, Bristol
2013 Co-curated ‘walking/talking’. Commissioned by PLaCE. Parlour Show Rooms, Bristol
2013 ‘BABE‘ (Bristol Artists’ Book Event), Arnolfini, Bristol
2013 ‘Period of Grace’. Group show, Period of Grace, Park St, Bristol
2013 ‘ The Library of Lost Books’. Group show exhibited at the opening of the New Birmingham Library in November, onto Wolverhampton University and then onto various venues.
2013 ‘Al Mutanabbi Street Inventory’. Touring artist book exhibition starting at John Rylands Library, Manchester continuing to The Lit and Phil Society, Newcastle and then on from there. Concurrently exhibition at Cambridge Arts Council , Cambridge, Massachusetts which then moves onto The Centre for Book Arts, New York City in collaboration with poet’s House NYC.
2012 Group show. ‘Postcards from the Edge’, Barnabas Art House, Newport, Wales
2012 ‘Re-emergence: Concerning Memory and Place’ Solo exhibition at Newton House, Dinefwr, Llandeilo, Carmarthenshire
2012-13 International Altered Book Project . A touring exhibition at UWE Bristol , The Sydney Nolan Trust in Wales, Cardiff School of Art, Manly Library in Sydney, Australia and The Milk Factory Gallery in Bowral, Australia.
2012 ‘What’s in the Box’. An artist book collaboration and exhibition, UWE, Bristol.
2011 Group show. Paintworks, Bristol.
2010 Group show. ‘Postcards from the Edge’, Barnabas Art House, Newport, Wales
2008 Solo exhibition of recent works. Ronnie’s Restaurant, Thornbury
2007 ‘Mortal : Momento Mori ‘ Group Show – The Old Protestant Cathedral, Bristol
2005 “Presque Vu” Mixed show, Paintworks, Bristol
2005 “Autumn exhibition” . The Royal West of England Academy (RWA), Bristol
2005 Jamaica Street Studios Exhibition . Jamaica Street studios, Bristol
2005 “Drawn” – Drawing lab and group show at Plan 9, Bristol
2005 Exhibition at RUH .Royal United Hospital, Bath
2005 “Flatland”.Group show . Centrespace Gallery, Bristol
2004 MFA show – Bath Spa University, Bath
Selected Publications:
HON: Women Artists in Wales. Ed Christine Kinsey 2022. H’mm Foundation, Swansea, Wales
Theorie van de visuele communicatie. M.Bekaert. 2018. Academic Scientific Publishers/Politeia Edition, Brussels.
2nd edition 2024. Getty Museum
Coal Tree Salt Sea. S.Rhys. 2017. Coal Tree Press. Mamhilad, Wales
Invisible Scotland. Ed Mary Modeen. 2013. Moray School of Art Press, The University of the Highlands and Islands
Bringing Back The Book. J. Glaser and S. Kruse. 2013. London. Library of Lost Books
Sarah has her work in various collections both in the UK and abroad.