EXHIBITIONS / BIOGRAPHY / CV
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'Painting is the perfect medium in using the framed edges as a stage to let you into the world as Zena sees it.'
- Zoë Gingell, Director at Cardiff MADE
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Exhibitions
​UPCOMING & CURRENT: (go to > past exhibitions)
*8.11 - 21.12.24 - Breath: Inspire: Spirit at Studio Cennen, Llandeilo
*9.11-21.12.24 - Beep Painting Biennial (I am 1 of 40 shortlisted artists) 'I Won't Stay in a World Without Love' at Elysium Gallery, Swansea,
*Until 23.12.24 Cardiff MADE Winter Exhibition
*1.2.25 - 29.3.25 - 'A Dream Within A Dream' at Liminal Gallery, Margate ​
About (go to >CV)
'The domestic setting is beautiful, still, and a touch awkward.' - Sacha Craddock (art critic, writer, curator)
Zena Blackwell is an award-winning figurative painter based in Cardiff, Wales, UK, working primarily in oil paint and exhibiting regularly both nationally and internationally. She obtained her MFA at Central Saint Martins; BA at Wimbledon School of Art and most recently completed the Turps Correspondence Course. A year after resuming her painting practice following a lengthy break, Zena won first prize at the Cardiff MADE Summer Open 2017, presenting a very well received first solo show there the following year. She was also awarded 3rd prize at PS Mirabel’s open exhibition ‘PAINT’ (Manchester) in 2019 and in 2024 she was awarded the Friends of the Glynn Vivian Prize at Beep Painting Biennial. She has been shortlisted for the Royal Academy Summer Show and BEEP Painting Prize twice.​ She has exhibited at prestigious galleries including Saatchi Gallery and Hastings Contemporary and her work is held in the permanent collection of the National Library of Wales and in many private collections globally (including a former European prime minister, British MP and a best-selling European author). Zena founded the instagram blog Contemporary Cymru in 2017 and between 2003-2011, she co-founded a critically acclaimed live music event in London and also DJed nationally and internationally. ​
Artist Statement
My paintings investigate various themes pertaining to childhood; be it my own experience of childhood and parenthood or general observations of my own two children. Children can be strange and beautiful but also funny and melancholy. The presence of children in my work provides glimpses into imagination, fantasy, story-telling and sometimes surrealism, Identity and gender definitions.
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CV
Education
Turps Correspondence Course
MA Fine Art Central Saint Martins, London, UK
BA Fine Art (hons) Wimbledon College of Art, London, UK
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Collections
National Library of Wales
Work in private collections in USA, UK, France, Japan, Australia, Canada and Poland.
Awards and Grants
2024 Winner of the Friends of the Glynn Vivian Prize at BEEP
2024 Shortlisted for the BEEP Painting Prize
2022 Shortlisted for the BEEP Painting Prize
2021 Shortlisted for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2021
Arts Council of Wales 'Create' Award Turps Correspondence Course 2021-22
2020 Arts Council of Wales awarded to Contemporary Cymru for HOUSEHOLD NAME
Arts Council of England awarded to Contemporary Cymru for HOUSEHOLD NAME
2019 3rd prize PAINT at PS Mirabel, Manchester
2018 Arts Council of Wales Grant towards the cost of 'Seen Not Heard'
2017 1st prize Cardiff MADE Summer Open
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PAST EXHIBITIONS
SOLO SHOWS:
2022 A Delicate Balance : Solo show at Canfas, Cardigan
2018 Seen Not Heard: Solo Exhibition at Cardiff MADE, Cardiff
GROUP SHOWS:
2024
The Walls Between Us curated by SOTA at Saatchi Gallery, London
Among Women, Vol 1 curated by Occupata at Art Market, Cardiff
Primal : Tribal : Beats at Studio Cennen, Llandeilo
Rejects (celebration of work overlooked by the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition), Art Friend, Stokey Pop Up, London
Made in Roath Open at g39, Cardiff
Y Lle Celf, National Eisteddfod, Rhondda Cynon Taf
Arcade Campfa Studio Show, Art Market, Cardiff
2023
Latent Dreaming: AucArt x SeeFood Room at SeeFood Room, Hong Kong
Through the Looking Glass - Aucart Group Show, Fitzrovia Gallery, London
New Wave - Spitalfields Studios, London
SOTA Marketplace : Accessible Art Fair, The Lab, London
Resilience - Annual Spring Show - Cardiff MADE
Human : Nature - Studio Cennen, Llandeilo
​Best of the Solo Art Prize winners exhibition, Cardiff MADE
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2022
Art on a Postcard Auction, The Bomb Factory, Covent Garden, London
THE OTHER ART FAIR, Truman Brewery, London
A Generous Space, Hastings Contemporary, Hastings
A Room of Her Own, Irving Contemporary, Oxford
BEEP Painting Prize 2022, Elysium Gallery, Swansea
Collecting - exhibition of new acquisitions at The National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth
Otherworlds at Cardiff MADE, Cardiff
A Women's Place is Everywhere, The Cello Factory, London
Draw : Wales, Wales Week in London
I contributed a drawing for a sketchbook feat. work by prominent Welsh artists inc. Shani Rhys James & Kevin Sinnott auctioned for Velindre
Made in Roath open @g39, Cardiff
The Sketchbook at Llantarnum Grange, Cwmbran
Y Lle Celf, National Eisteddfod, Tregaron, Cardigan
Body, Stitch, Soul at Studio Cennen, Llandeilo
A Celebration of Welsh Contemporary Painting at Red House, Merthyr Tydfil
Ebb and Flow, Studio Cennen, Llandeilo
Catalyst: Painters from the Turps Banana Correspondence Course, Oriel Canfas, Cardiff
The Hearth Gallery, Llandough Hospital
City Hospice Charity Auction - Roger Jones & Co, Cardiff
Poems, Psalms & Song, Studio Cennen, Llandeilo
Cardiff MADE Winter Open
Celebration of Contemporary Welsh Painting, Pierhead Futures Gallery, Cardiff Bay (
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2021
Truth : Myth : Dreams at Studio Cennen, Llandeilo
Cardiff MADE Winter Exhibition at Cardiff MADE, Cardiff
Without Borders - Elysium Gallery (the exhibition traveled to Japan, Norway, USA, Venice, Canada, and back to Wales)
Household Name Virtual Exhibition
Household Name: Group show curated by Contemporary Cymru
Elysium Gallery, Swansea with Laura Ford, Cherry Pickles, Zoë Gingell, Fern Thomas, Adele Vye and Raji Salan
Cambium at Cardiff MADE
2020
Coming Up For Air - Oriel Canfas, Cardiff (part of BEEP Biennial)
Telling Tales (Three person show with Lara Davies and Rhiannon Davies) - Bay Art, Cardiff
Arcade Studio Exhibition at Arcade Campfa, Cardiff
A View From The Edge : Contemporary Landscape in the Digital Age, Cardiff MADE
2019
Cardiff MADE Winter Show
AGORED19 at Galeri, Caernarfon
Present X Correct showcase by Contemporary Cymru at Corsica Studios, London
Y Lle Celf at The Eisteddfod, Llanrwst
PAINT at PS Mirabel, Manchester (awarded 3rd prize)
Empower Me! at g39, Cardiff
Arcade Studios at Bath Fringe Arts Festival, Bath
Tactile Bosch in Japan, Korea and Taiwan
The Mutterscream: Crepuscular Lush, Jacob’s Market, Cardiff
Viridis: Spring Show at Cardiff MADE
2018
Winter Show: Cardiff MADE
CSAD Auction at g39, Cardiff
Seen Not Heard: Solo Exhibition at Cardiff MADE, Cardiff
Made in Roath Open at g39, Cardiff
Y lle Celf, The Eisteddfod, Senedd, Cardiff
Filia (feminist conference in Manchester. Exhibition traveled to Sao Paulo, Brazil)
2017
Ankle Biters at Made in Roath, Cardiff
MADE Summer Open Exhibition, Cardiff, curated by Zoe Gingell (won 1st Prize)
2016
‘Domestic Bliss’ at Made in Roath, Cardiff
2012
‘ArtLabBern’ Switzerland: My Beautiful Son project, Bern, Switzerland
Clit Rock’ My film Pleasure Max was shown at this regular anti-FGM event, London
2011
Central Saint Martins MA Degree show, London
New Pretenders’ Bargehouse, London (Interim MA degree show)
Pre-2010
Selected works at The Glass Bar, London
‘Slap & Tickle’ at The Yard Bar, London (curated)
Wimbledon Library group show
Open Studios
2019 Cardiff Open Studios
2016 Cardiff Contemporary Open Studios
Made in Roath Festival Open Studios
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Press/Printed/Online/Books/Interviews
(for recent press coverage, please go to Press tab)
2021
Poetry Wales - 2020 #4 featured on the cover of the Summer 2021 issue
Axisweb - New Art Highlights
Axisweb - Five 2 Watch
Saatchi Art - The Color Catalogue (digital & printed copies distributed to 250K US collectors)
Photographed by Bernard Mitchell for the Wales Arts Archive
Obsessed With Art - Bathroom Art - ‘Fibre, Back, Plastic’ featured
2020
FAD - Preview of HOUSEHOLD NAME
Chapter Arts Newsletter - highlighting 6 artists taking part in #artistsupportpledge
2019
The London Reader
Axisweb - Highlights (December)
Together and Sunspell – interview and photos
Axisweb – one of five painters to watch (January)
Axisweb – Highlights (April)
2018
A-N – ‘Seen Not Heard’ included in Top 5 UK exhibitions of the week
Western Mail Newspaper - double page feature
Wales Arts Review – feature
Wales Arts Review – included in a list of 10 of the Best of Welsh Visual Arts 2018
Around Town Magazine ‘Cardiff People’
Galleries Magazine
Cardiff Students
Buzz Magazine
Cardiff Times review of Seen Not Heard
BBC Wales – Eisteddfod review mention.
‘Painting of the Day’ - Contemporary British Painting
Axisweb - Highlights
Saatchi Art – Curated collection
Cardiff Life Magazine
Radio Cardiff ‘Pitch Illustration Radio’ hour-long interview
2017
Cardiff Life Magazine
‘Under the Radar’ - Artslant global mailout
Lumin Journal
‘Painting of the Day’ Contemporary British Painting
2009
Flying Graphics, Monsa, Barcelona
2008
Fly By Night, Thames & Hudson, London
Historical
a-n Magazine Degree Show Special
Misc
2017-present day – Founded Contemporary Cymru
2010-2013: Curated the Art in the Bar programme at Corsica Studios
2005: Judge and award presenter at The London Short Film Festival, ICA, London
2000: Showcased recent work on the TV series ‘Young, Gifted & Broke’