Karen Byrne is a London based artist with a studio in Brixton. Her practice moves between media encompassing mixed media sculptural work, drawing, performance, video and installation.
Her interests are often dichotomous - natural/unnatural; high/low art; what is valued and worshipped/what is considered worthless and despised; human animal/non-human animal; disquieting/joyful; serious/humorous. Current explorations consider the concept of the human/animal hybrid creature that by the merging of characteristics allows us to consider our understanding of our own bodily freedoms, our relationship to the planet and impact upon it. These interests arose from a continuing body of work exploring the use of language and cultural stereotypes to constrain human behaviour and shape societal responses - in particular as it relates to sexuality and body image. Her interests widen now to speak of our disquiet at our detachment from nature whilst being inseparable and one with all around us.
Exhibited
2025
Bloom, Tryst Art Fair,Torrance Art Museum,Los Angeles (forthcoming)
Duets,Durden & Ray Gallery,Bendix Building,Los Angeles (forthcoming)
Fruiting Bodies,Old Post Office Artspace,Scarborough,North Yorkshire
Love Shack,Harts Lane Gallery, New Cross,London
UBIK 25,Hypha Studios,Stratford,London
Falling Faintly, Faintly Falling, Finch Cafe Gallery, London
2024 The Miniatures Challenge, Canalboat Contemporary, London
Southwark Park Open, Southwark Park Galleries, London
EncounterCulture, APT Gallery, Deptford, London
Second Nature, Tremenheere Sculpture Garden, Penzance, Cornwall
Landslide, MASS, Thames-side Gallery, Woolwich, London
Rose is a rose is a rose, Finch Cafe Gallery, London
New Directions, Willesden Gallery, London
2023 Material Gain One Paved Court, Richmond, London
Postcards From the Volcano, MASS, Thamesside Gallery, Woolwich
Carnival,Masks,Laughter & the Grotesque Safehouse Peckham
Between The Edges, Espacio Gallery Shoreditch
Coordinates, WIP, MASS, Thames-Side Studios Gallery, London
Piece by Piece City Lit Gallery, London (invited artist)
Instant Vortex Plus + Showcase - The White Rooms, Colchester Arts Centre
2022 Summer Exhibition Royal Academy of Art, London Selected by Alison Wilding RA
Beneath The Surface Espacio Gallery, London Holborn Group invited guest artist
Retrespect Sweet ‘Art at Art Bypass Gallery, London
The Way We Rise hArts Lane Gallery, London
Ballad To Reading Brixton Library, London
One For the Women Dark Yellow Dot at Genesis, London
2021 21 fATHOMS ASC Gallery, London Selected by Julie Verhoeven
Surface and Depth Palazzo Velli Expo Rome
Southwark Park Galleries Open Southwark Park Galleries London
2020 St Saviour’s Winter Show – A Year In Lockdown The Florence Trust London
Southwark Park Galleries Open - Online
A Letter In Mind Oxo Tower London
Art Hunt - Sweet ‘Art Interactive Art Trail - Shoreditch
To see show: @wearesweet
Contemporary Textiles Fair 2020 - Landmark Arts Centre (postponed)
In Transition – by invitation - curated by Héloïse Parkes & Louise Baldwin, City Lit Gallery
2019 Female Gaze – Theatre Deli
Fantastic Properties – The Crypt Gallery
2018 The Knitting & Stitching Show - Olympia,
V&A Inspired By… - Morley Gallery
Integrate/Disintegrate - RK Burt Gallery
Crossing Borders - Espacio Gallery
E:Merge Safehouse Peckham
2017 Femfest by Sweet ‘Art, Ugly Duck, Tanner Street
2016 V&A Inspired By… - Morley Gallery
Residencies
2024 EncounterCulture, Changeable Beast Group Residency – APT Gallery, Deptford
MASS Sculpture, Thames-side studios, Woolwich
2022 Instant Vortex Plus + performance workshops - The White Rooms, Colchester Arts Centre
2019 Cleave, August Collectives, collaborating with Cash Aspeek & Anno Mitchell - APT Gallery,
Deptford
Performance & video
2024 State Opening Ceremony,Landslide, MASS, Thames-side Gallery, Woolwich, London
2023 Who’s Coming To Tea, Material Gain, Performance with Seona Myerscough,One Paved Court,
Richmond
2023 I had a dog,Instant Vortex Plus +,Colchester Arts Centre
2022 Soft ‘n’ Tasty, The Way We Rise, hArts Lane Gallery, London
Curation
2024 EncounterCulture, APT Gallery, Deptford, London
Video copyright @Jonathandredge and @moderneccebtrics
With thanks for the 2020 St Saviour’s Winter show