Sarah Ball grew up in South Yorkshire and studied at Newport Art College. After working in London throughout the late 80s and 90s, she returned to Wales to concentrate solely on painting and complete an MFA at Bath Spa University in 2005. She is represented by Millennium.
Ball’s most recent works are intricate and diminutive painted portraits taken from police ‘mugshots’. These delve into ideas surrounding 19th Century physiognomy - which was a widely explored and believed notion that there was a connection between an individual’s outward appearance and their inner character - in essence good people ‘looked good’ and bad people ‘looked bad’. This research progressed to include Alphone Bertillon’s identification system. Bertillon was a French police officer and biometrics researcher who applied the anthropological technique of anthropometry to law enforcement, creating an identification system based on physical measurements.
Acclaim for Sarah Ball continues to grow with two recent pieces selected and curated by Edith Devaney the Curator of Contemporary projects in the new portraiture room at the RA Summer Show, 2013. The work was shown alongside artists such as Frank Auerbach, Gavin Turk, Gary Hume, Julian Opie, Elizabeth Peyton, Alex Katz and Michael Craig Martin.
Ball is currently Weslh Artist of the Year, having been shortlisted in 2007 and 2009. She also recently one The Best of Wales prize at The National Open Art Competition, 2012. Sarah was also shortlisted for the Threadneedle Prize in 2009 and has again been shortlisted this year.
CV
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2013
Accused Part 2, Millennium 2012
Accused, Millennium
Oriel Tegfryn, Menai Bridge
2011
Sarah Ball and Meirion Ginsberg, Martin Tinney Gallery, Cardiff
2007
Nature Paintings, Hybrid Gallery, Devon
2003
Landfall Habitat, Cardiff
2000
New Work, Hybrid Gallery, London
1996
Landscapes, Hybrid Gallery, London
1994
Shore Shapes, Hybrid Gallery, London
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2013
Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition, London
Welsh Artist of the Year Exhibition, Cardiff
London Art Fair, Millennium Gallery
2012
Martin Tinney Gallery: 25th anniversary
Millennium Mixed Winter, St Ives
Mono No Aware, bo.lee
The National Open Art Competition, Chichester
National Eisteddford, Vale of Glamorgan
Never Never, Aberystwyth Arts Centre
London Art Fair, Martin Tinney Gallery
2011
Millennium Mixed Winter, St Ives
Hunting the Hunted, bo.lee Gallery with Beth Carter and Duncan Cameron
Wunderkammer, Bo.lee Gallery, off site exhibition at The Octagon Chapel, Bath
London Art Fair
2010
RWA 158th Autumn Exhibition, RWA, Bristol
Here and Now, Newport Museum and Art Galleries, Newport
National Eisteddfod EbbwVale
Welsh Artist of the Year, St David’s Hall, Cardiff – (Highly commended)
RWA 3rd Open Painting Exhibition, RWA, Bristol
2009
Winter Exhibition, Lynne Strover Gallery, Cambridge
RWA 157th Autumn Exhibition, RWA, Bristol
Threadneedle Prize, Mall Galleries, London
Welsh Artist of the Year, St David’s Hall, Cardiff
2008
Wiinter Open, Oriel Q, Narbeth
Purchase Prize, Wales Millennium Centre/Oriel Y Bont, University of Glamorgan
2007
RWA Autumn Exhibition, RWA, Bristol
Washington Gallery, Penarth
Welsh Artist of the Year, St David’s Hall, Cardiff
MA Show, Stroud House Gallery, Stroud
Undercover, Oriel Davies, Powys
2006
Purchase Prize (shortlisted), Oriel Y Bont, University of Glamorgan
2005
Artsway Open 05, Artsway, Hampshire
Presque Vu Paintworks, Bristol
2002
Winter Show, Albany Gallery, Cardiff
1996
4i Ecology Centre, London
1994
Summer Exhibition, Lynne Strover Gallery, Cambridge
PRIVATE AND PUBLIC COMMISSIONS
2008
University of Glamorgan
200
Sir Alan Langlands (NHS Chief Executive and Vice Chancellor of Dundee University)
1996
Sir Harry Moore (Chairman of the Co-operative Halifax)
PRIZES
2013
Winner of Welsh Artist of the Year
2012
The National Open Art Competition - Winner: Best of Wales 2012
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