biography
Shelagh Wakely - Born in 1932 in Madingley, UK - 2011, London
Shelagh Wakely was a pioneer of installation art. Born in the small village of Madingley, Cambridgeshire, in 1932, Wakely spent much of her youth in Kenya where her family lived a privileged colonial life. She returned to England as a teenager to study agriculture, but quickly turned to the arts, studying painting and screen-printing at the Chelsea College of Art (1958-1962). Wakely worked as a textile and clothing designer through the 1960s but a research fellowship at the Royal College of Art (1968-1971) led her to turn to sculpture. Early exhibitions were held at the Serpentine Gallery, London, (1977); ICA, London, (1979) and John Hansard Gallery, Southampton (1982). These shows cemented her reputation as a multifaceted artist: installations, sculptures, drawings and paintings all incorporated across the breadth of her practice.
Later landmark exhibitions include The British School at Rome, 1991, where she was a Fellow, IKON Gallery, Birmingham, 1992; Museu do Acude, Rio de Janeiro, 1993; and an outdoor installations, Rainsquare installed at the South London Gallery in 1994 and Angel Row Gallery, Nottingham, 2002.
Public commissions include: Royal Albert Hall, London, 2001, Marunouchi Building, Tokyo 2002, Beckenham Beacon Hospital, Kent, 2009, and Nottingham University Hospital City Campus, Nottingham, 2010
Education / Teaching
1972
Visiting teaching, external examining, etc. at BA & MA levels
1968-71
MA Royal College of Art & Research Fellowship
1963-68
NDD painting and textiles. Teaching in London, Ghana and Pakistan
1958-62
Studies in paintings and fabric printing at Chelsea College of Art
1951-58
BSc (Agriculture) and research in grassland agronomy
Awards and Recognitions
1993
Wingate scholarship to travel and study in Brazil
British Council grants for various shows and commissions outside the UK
1991
Sculpture award at British School of Rome
1982
GLAA/King’s fund competition first prize
1977-80
Greater London visual arts panel and Arts Council of GB purchasing panel
1976
1983 Greater London visual arts awards
Solo Exhibitions
2014
A View from a Window, Camden Arts Centre, London, UK
2013
Shelagh Wakely, R O O M Artspace, London, UK
2010
Shelagh Wakely drawing exhibition, R O O M Artspace, London, UK
2012
a space for dreaming, Angel Row Gallery, Nottingham, UK
1999
Minerva Gallery, Tel Aviv, Israel
1997
each one of a thousand, Galerie Le Monde de l'Art, Paris, France
paisagem inutil & the practice of enchantment, Instituto Brasil-EstadoUnidos, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1994
rainsquare (installation), South London Gallery, London, UK
1993
aguadorado (installation), Museu do Acude, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1992
gold/dust, Ikon Gallery, Birmingham, UK
açafrão sobre concreto & cut silk, Galeria Sergio Porto, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1991
curcuma sul travertino (installation), British School at Rome, Italy
1989
as yet unnamed, The Showroom, London, UK
alling, Piwna 20/26, Warsaw, Poland
1985
the representation of a baroque garden, Portland Sculpture Park, Dorset, UK
1982
if a fan becomes a fountain, John Hansard Gallery, Southampton, UK
1980
the palace was closed on Mondays, the fountains were not playing, Piwna 20/26, Warsaw, Poland
1979
towards the inside of a container, ICA, London, UK
towards the inside of a container, LYC Museum, Cumbria, UK
it is so green outside it is difficult to leave the window, Coracle Press Gallery, London, UK
1977
some encounters with reality, Serpentine Gallery, London, UK
Group Exhibitions
2009
Collaborators, editions and unique works, R O O M London, UK
2006
Editions and unique works, R O O M Gallery Bristol & R O O M T O O London, UK
2005
Editions and unique works, R O O M Gallery Bristol & R O O M T O O London, UK
2003
Digital prints and videos, R O O M Gallery Bristol, UK
2002
Artist for a memorial for Diana Princess of Wales with Gustafson Porter Designer London, UK
like gold dust 8 artists working with gold, Angel Row Gallery, Nottingham, UK
2002
structurally sound 4 British artists, X-Teresa, Mexico City, Mexico
2000
underground movement, Feeringbury Manor, Colchester, UK
secret gardens, Trinity Hospital, Greenwich, UK
artlink-international artists camp (British Council representative) and exhibition, Barefoot gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka
1997
a little object, Centre for Freudian Analysis & Research, London, UK
1996
a path for ghosts, clio, Synagogy na Polmovce, Prague, Czech Republic
beyond consumption, LIFE/LIVE la scene artistique au Royaume-Uni en 1996 (with Cairn Gallery) Musée d’ Art
Moderne de la Ville de Paris, France & Centro Cultural de Belem, Lisbon, Portugal
1993
dustculturenobodyfloorpreciousfalsetwo installation, Cairn Gallery, Nailsworth, UK
room 45 hotel des voyageurs, Hotel d’Angleterre, Lambulle, and Galérie du Chai, Saint Brienc, France
1992
the image of an object under water is virtual, some activities around Noon on the Summer Solstice
1991
scarlet silk & cut cotton installations ‘an English summer’ British Art in Northern Italy, Palazzo Ruini Reggio Emilia, Italy
Second Ephemeral Sculpture exhibition, Fortaleza, Brazil
1990
Antoni Malinowski, Kate Smith, Shelagh Wakely, Dean Whatmuff, Mario Flecha Gallery, London, UKla jouisseuse drawing, Kettles Yard, Cambridge, UK
1986
la jouisseuse drawing, Kettles Yard, Cambridge, UK
1985
new art, Anthony Reynolds Gallery, London, UK
1984
Sculptors drawings, British Council Touring show, UK
collazione inglese at scuola di san pasquale, Venice Biennale (Anthony Reynolds selections)
art within reach, Air Gallery, London, UK
1983
Stroke, line and figure, Gimpel Fils, London, UK
1982
British Artists prints, British Council Touring, Brazil and tour
1981
Bookworks by British Artists, XVI Sao Paulo Biennale, Brazil
2nd Biennale of European Graphic Art, Baden-Baden, Germany
LIS’81 International Drawing Show, Galeria Nacional de Arte Moderna, Lisbon, Portugal
1980
British Art 1940-80 from the Arts Council Collection, Hayward Gallery, London, UK
1979
6th International Print Biennale, Bradford, UK
4th Cleveland International Drawing Biennale, UK
1978
Fo(u)ndlings Coracle Press Gallery, London, UK
1977
British Artists Prints 1972-77, British Council Touring, UK
Summer Show 1, Serpentine Gallery, London, UK
1976
Alison Wilding and Shelagh Wakely, Air Gallery, London, UK
1975
Exhibition for opening of Air Gallery, London, UK
Videos
2010
flowers video animation and collaborative performance with dancer Yong-min Cho
2009
into the night video with sound by musician Sarah Sarhandi
2005
slit scarlet collaboration with musician Sarah Sarhandi
2003
egypsia & the phenix from installation and performance collaboration with Tunga, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1994
j’appelle un chat un chat video accompanying Sharon Kivland’s book, The Library London (menswear store combining fashion, art & design curated by Book Works) London, UK
1991-2000
Documentaries of installations for Henry Moore Trust and other artists
1989
Collaborations with Tunga on various videos shown with Tunga’s exhibitions at: Bard College New York; Museum of Contemporary Art Miami; Museu Alejandro Otero Caracas; Musee Jeu de Paume Paris; Govett-kerr, London; Instituto Cervantes, Paris; pyramid at The Louvre, Paris; PS1 New York
1988
Videos and documentaries of Shelagh Wakely works and various video works
Other (Performance / Installation)
2005
slit scarlet, collaboration with musician Sarah Sarhandi, Sidney Sussex College Chapel, Cambridge, UK
2004
the nightsbridge garden, Chelsea Flower Show, London, UK
2003
egypsia & the phenix installation and performance with Tunga, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
1993
silver skin installation, Princes Quay Shopping Centre, Hull, UK
Commissions
2010
Nottingham University Hospital City Campus, radiotherapy unit, Nottingham, UK
Stainless steel sculpture for the central courtyard, Vale Community Hospital, Dursley, Gloucestershire, UK
2009
dream ivy, Beckenham Beacon Hospital, Kent, UK
Two double doors and grills for entrance to rubbish collection areas, Dering Street, London, UK
2008
Waterjet cut 6mm thick corten steel, Tracery Arch Temple Quays, Bristol, UK
Glass for office entrance, Temple Quay, Bristol, UK
Glass for Ibis Hotel, Temple Quay, Bristol, UK
2002
dream flowers for eight cities & a tracing of a cherry tree, Showa Public Hospital Tokyo, Japan
2001
Mosaic for the Royal Albert Hall South porch tympanum, London, UK
2000
pools in a golden carpet, acelebration of the refurbishment of Barking town square London, UK
1999
the practice of enchantment, Martineau Johnson solicitors Birmingham, UK
silver skin, outside intensive care unit, Dorset County Hospital, Dorchester, UK
1997
Seven Dials Piazetta (with John Newling), Covent Garden, London, UK
1996
Wool carpet, the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra Centre, Birmingham, UK
Top floor lift lobby new wing, General Infirmary, Leeds, UK
1986
a fountain garden, Northwick Park Hospital, London, UK
1982
five tables in a courtyard garden, St George's Hospital, London, UK
Monographs / Exhibition Catalogues / Artist books
Shelagh Wakely: A View from a Window at Camden Arts Centre (London: Xtraprint, 2014)
Shelagh Wakely (London: R O O M Books, 2013)
Shelagh Wakely: Installations & Commissions 1991-2009 (London: Aldgate Press, 2010)
Shelagh Wakely: Paisagens Imaginarias (Brazil: IBEU, 1997)
Shelagh Wakely: Gold/Dust (Birmingham: Ikon Gallery, 1992)
Shelagh Wakely: As Yet Unnamed Drawings 1988-90 (London: The Showroom, 1990)
Wakely, Shelagh, The Representation of a Baroque Garden (postcard work, 1985)
Wakely, Shelagh, It is so Green Outside, it is Difficult to Leave the Window (London: Coracle Press,1980)
Group Show Calaogues
Faure Walker,James, Painting The Digital River (New Jersey: Prentice Hall, 2006) [‘five seconds-Lamu’ digital print] Contemporary Mayfair – 77 Grosvenor St (London: Grosvenor Estates, 2006)
Moor, Andrew, Colours Of Architecture (London: Mitchel Beazley, 2006) [‘the shadow of a tree the pattern of the rain’ Marunouchi Building, Tokyo & paving for the Knightsbridge garden Chelsea Flower Show 2004]
Like Gold Dust (Nottingham: Angel Row Gallery, 2002)
Interface Between Architecture & Art, Marunouchi Building Art Project, Contemporary Sculpture Centre, ed., Tokyo (Mitsubishi Estate Co / Mitsubishi Jisho Sekkeil Inc. Tokyo, 2002) [p18/19 a shadow of a tree, the pattern of the rain]
9 Days In September 2000 (London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, 2000) [a golden carpet for Barking Town Square & welcoming event by Silvia Ziranek]
Li Yuan-Chia, Brett, Guy ed. (London: INIVA, 2000) [p135 1979 installation in Li Yuan-chia Museum & Art Gallery]
In The Place Of An Object (Journal of Freudian Analysis and Research Special Issue, 2000), Kivland, Sharon / du Ry, Marc, ed. [p97 hair bracelet - ornament in the field of vision]
Transplant-Living Vegetation In Contemporary Art, Nemitz, Barbara, ed. (Hatje Cantz, 2000) [p132 Five tables in a courtyard, St Georges Hospital, Tooting, London]
Public Art Space, Roberts, Sara, ed. (London: Merrel Holbberton, 1998) [p83 rainsquare]
Kivland, Sharon, Fascinium: Shelagh Wakely, Sharon Kivland, Naismith (London: Aldgate Press, 1997)
Installation Art, Olivera/Oxley/Petry, ed. (London: Thames & Hudson, 1994) [p42 Curcuma sul Travertino, British School at Rome]
The Coracle: Coracle Press Gallery 1975-1987 (London: Coracle press, 1989) [p15, 27 Towards the inside of a container]
Sightworks Vol 1, Lewandowska, M., ed. (London: Chance Books, 1988)
Art Within Reach, Townsend, Peter, ed. (London: Thames & Hudson, 1984)[p59 Five tables in a courtyard, St Georges Hospital, Tooting, London]
Arts Council Collection 1979-83 (ACGB, 1983)
Collections
Henry Moore Trust, Arts Council of GB, British Council, Victoria and Albert Museum, regional museums in UK, Private collections
Notes
Shelagh Barton Worthington, married Patrick Wakely in 1962 (divorced 1972)