Sarah Kudirka

Hello

I am Sarah Kudirka, an artist fascinated by the shapes and edges of stuff.

You know when you find something in your pocket that you picked up then forgot about? Familiar but unknown, a wee treasure, your fingers feel around its surfaces, its edges. Not until you pull it out of your pocket and see it in your hand do you know what it is. Art for me is about exploring the shapes and edges of stuff, kind of like that.

“work that is beautiful, layered and thoughtful” – Jan Patience, art writer

My latest work centres upon shell-like shapes and bowl:boat motifs. It is informed by and wrapped up in ideas of belonging, distance or closeness, diaspora and compassion.

My paintings have incised, scraped, obliterated, often deeply-textured surfaces. I paint in oils on linen and over recycled Polaroid / instant film exposures. My practice is distinctively low-tech – I pull things apart and build them up again iteratively. There are always many layers to what I make.

High-level experience in creative consultancy, working with Arup engineers, architects and designers on global projects from new buildings to public realm art, and proud of having developed and founded The Penguin Pool events worldwide.

Born and educated in England, part of my childhood was spent in Kenya and in Scotland where I am now based. Art made by me is in corporate, public and private collections internationally. Do please get in touch if you’d like to have my work on your walls; seek my input on a project; discuss a show or commission; or just to say hello.

Artist's CV

BA (Hons) Fine Art – First Class – The University of Leeds, 1990
MA Sculpture Studies – Distinction – The University of Leeds, 1991

Awards

Purchase Prize, Young Artists South East – Kent Art & Libraries
Research Award – The Henry Moore Sculpture Trust
Major Award – The British Council
The Passey Prize in Art – The University of Leeds
Light in Art – The Prudential

One Person Shows

2023 a bowl : a boat – The Briggait, Glasgow
2017 When did you last look up? – London Festival of Architecture
2017 Berlin City Skies – Laura Lea Art & Design, London
2015 Paint + Polaroids – Canary Wharf Window Gallery, London
2014 City Skies London – The Orange Tree, London
2005 Belongings – Toni Heath Gallery, London
2001 Fit and Proper – London Stock Exchange
2000 As Seen on TV – bbb contemporary art, London
1998 Vocabulary – Oliver J Benjamin, London
1995 Methodiz’d – Casson Gallery, Eastbourne
1993 Chairs & Stripes – Newlyn Gallery, Leeds
1992 Country Seat – Lotherton Hall, Aberford

Selected Group Shows

2024 SSA Annual – Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh
2024 Faultline: Gaza 355 – OrielQ Gallery, Narberth
2024 Artists for Palestine – Empire Gallery, Edinburgh
2024 Art Car Boot Sale – Tramway, Glasgow
2024 Now and Then – VAS, Dalkeith Palace
2024 Summer Show – Smithy Gallery, Blanefield
2024 Lift Others Up – K U D I R K A, Glasgow
2024 Blue – Stallan Brand, Glasgow
2023 Winter Show – Smithy Gallery, Blanefield
2023 SSA Annual – Maclaurin Art Gallery, Ayr
2023 5 Installations – 1873 Hall, The Briggait, Glasgow
2023 Build – Low Gallery, The Briggait, Glasgow
2023 ArtCarBootSale – Patricia Fleming Gallery/SWG3, Glasgow
2023 WASPS X Kirkcudbright Galleries – Kirkcudbright, Dumfries & Galloway
2022 Finding the Wonder – Tatha Gallery, Newport-on-Tay
2022 ArtCarBootSale – Patricia Fleming Gallery/SWG3, Glasgow
2021 Stop.Start, Kudirka & Comrie – South Block Project Space, Glasgow
2021 Instant, Society of Scottish Artists – co-Curator & exhibitor
2019 Little Originals – Dockstreet Studios Gallery, Dundee
2019 ArtCarBootSale – Patricia Fleming Gallery/SWG3, Glasgow
2019 & 22 Glasgow Contemporary Art Fair, Kelvingrove, Glasgow
2018 Into The City – Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk
2016 & 2017 The Other Art Fair – Victoria House, London
2016 Introducing – Roseberys Auction House, London
2015 The Other Art Fair – Old Truman Brewery, London
2010 Socle – Bow, London
2007 Torture Care – auction & show, London
2005-18 Secret – Royal College of Art, London
2005 IDEA/You are de-corator – Hackney, London
2005 Artmix – Workplace Art, London
2004 The Makers – Soup Projects, London
2003 Pop Culture – Beatrice Royal Art Gallery, Southampton
2002 Size Matters – Stephen Lacey Gallery, London
2001 ARTFutures – Contemporary Art Society, London

Residencies & Trusteeships, etc

2024 Established K U D I R K A sometimes artspace
2021 Paper published in ‘Studies in Photography’
2020 Speaker at National Trust for Scotland Second Morton Symposium
2018-21 Elected Council Member, Society of Scottish Artists
2018 ProjectAbility Research Residency, Trongate 103, Glasgow
2017 Invited artist on selection panel for a major public sculpture
2011-14 Artist in ARUP, global residency for design/engineering firm
2010-17 Trustee/Board Member of Acme Artists Studios Ltd
2009 In Discussion invited artist, Lee Campbell projects
2004-05 Chair of Matrix Chambers artworks committee
2002-03 Tate Modern, assistant to Sir Nicholas Serota / Vicente Todolì
2001 Organiser of Larnaca Works Open Studios, London
1999 Collaborated with Gillian Cargill on Reclining Artists photo project
1997-98 ‘Land’ published in Women Artists Diary, Womens Press
1992-94 Austin Wright catalogue raisonné for Henry Moore Sculpture Trust published by Lund Humphries
1992 Invited speaker at Association of Art Historians conference

Public Realm Art Consultancy with/for architects, developers, private clients
Visual Creativity training for building engineers, architects and designers
Founder of ‘The Penguin Pool’ ARUP events held in 15 cities worldwide

Work in Collections

Kent Arts and Libraries, UK
The British Institute of Human Rights, UK
Various corporate collections, UK
Private collections in Australia, Austria, Canada, England, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, Lithuania, New Zealand, Scotland, Spain and USA

NB Until 2012 I was called Sarah K Davenport