Helen Sear facts for kids
Helen Sear is a British artist born in 1955. She is well-known for her exciting work using photography and moving images, like videos. She is also a member of the Royal Academy of Arts, which is a very important group for artists in the UK.
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Early Life
Helen Sear was born in Banbury, England, in 1955. She grew up in the West Midlands region. Her mother was a teacher, and her father was a surgeon who specialized in facial and jaw surgery. Helen has two younger brothers.
Her Art Career
Helen Sear studied Fine Art at Reading University and University College London. She also attended the Slade School, a famous art school. In the late 1980s, she mostly created art through installations (art setups in a space), performance art (art acted out), and films.
Her photographic works were shown in a special exhibition called "De-Composition: Constructed Photography in Britain" in 1991. This exhibition traveled to countries in Latin America and Eastern Europe.
Helen has received many awards for her art. In 1993, she won an Abbey Award at the British School at Rome. She also won a top prize for visual art at the National Eisteddfod in Wales in 2011. The Arts Council of Wales gave her a Creative Wales Award to help her create new projects.
In 2012, Ffotogallery, Wales' national photography agency, published her first big book of work called Inside the View. This book was even nominated for a major international photography award. In 2013, she won the Wakelin Award for her artwork called Chameleon. This piece became part of the art collection at the Glynn Vivian Art Gallery and museum.
A big moment in her career was in 2015 when she presented her solo work for Wales at the 56th Venice Biennale. This is a very famous international art exhibition. In March 2024, Helen Sear was chosen to be a member of the Royal Academy of Arts, which is a great honor for artists in Britain.
Helen finds inspiration from other artists. She has mentioned Max Ernst and also artists like Samuel Palmer, William Blake, and Paul Nash. She also looks at the work of the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, a group of artists from the 1800s.
Personal Life
Helen Sear lives and works in Burgundy, France, where her art studio is located. She is married to a Swiss painter named Andreas Ruethi.
Notable Exhibitions
Helen Sear's art has been shown in many important exhibitions around the world.
Solo Exhibitions
- Gone to Earth, John Hansard Gallery, Southampton, 1994
- Inside The View, Klompching Gallery, New York, US, 2009
- Sightlines and Pastoral Monuments, Klompching Gallery, New York, US, 2012
- Lure, Oriel Davies national touring exhibition, 2013
- Helen Sear, Klompching Gallery, New York, US, 2015
Group Exhibitions
- British Council touring Exhibition De-Composition, constructed photography in Britain, 1991–1998
- Moments of Capture, Museum of Modern Art, Skopje, Macedonia
- About Face, Hayward Gallery, London, 2004
- Paris Photo, Aperture Foundation New York, 2011
- New Perspectives: Landscape Art in Wales since the 1970s, National Museum Wales, 2012
- Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition, London, 2014
