Aphra Shemza
Aphra Shemza
London, Seven Sisters, United Kingdom
About Aphra Shemza
Aphra Shemza is a London based multimedia artist exploring the impact and legacy of technology on our world. Working with abstraction, interactivity and light, Shemza combines traditional sculpting techniques with the latest technology to create her work. Shemza’s work is multidisciplinary making reference to Modernism with a renewed optimism.
Shemza has created both public and private commissions: Seconds Pass for Save the Children, GlaxoSmithKline and Anagram this year, Post-Truth and Beauty commissioned by Morley College in 2017, and Heart Beats of Cristal for Champagne Louis Roederer, exhibited in the Shard, London in 2016.
She exhibits regularly with recent highlights including V&A Digital Futures, Winter Lights Festival and Xi’an Maker Faire in China with the British Council. She has also participated in public speaking events, notably at Tate Britain, the British Library and The Courtauld Institute.
In 2018 she launched www.art-ology.co.uk, a peer resource for artists who wish to be mindful of their environmental impact with the support of SPACE.
Her research about sustainability in the media arts has been published by the Electronic Visual Arts conference in London, and she now sits on their organising committee. She also contributed an article to Tate Etc magazine in 2016.
In 2016 she co-founded FLUX Events, a peer networking charity for artists working at the intersection of art, technology and science. Shemza co-curates the yearly programme of talks, exhibitions and events and oversees the day to day running of the charity.
Alongside her art practice, she has been the manager of the Estate of Anwar Jalal Shemza since 2012, championing the work of her grandfather and continuing his legacy, through exhibitions, publications and more.
Shemza has created both public and private commissions: Seconds Pass for Save the Children, GlaxoSmithKline and Anagram this year, Post-Truth and Beauty commissioned by Morley College in 2017, and Heart Beats of Cristal for Champagne Louis Roederer, exhibited in the Shard, London in 2016.
She exhibits regularly with recent highlights including V&A Digital Futures, Winter Lights Festival and Xi’an Maker Faire in China with the British Council. She has also participated in public speaking events, notably at Tate Britain, the British Library and The Courtauld Institute.
In 2018 she launched www.art-ology.co.uk, a peer resource for artists who wish to be mindful of their environmental impact with the support of SPACE.
Her research about sustainability in the media arts has been published by the Electronic Visual Arts conference in London, and she now sits on their organising committee. She also contributed an article to Tate Etc magazine in 2016.
In 2016 she co-founded FLUX Events, a peer networking charity for artists working at the intersection of art, technology and science. Shemza co-curates the yearly programme of talks, exhibitions and events and oversees the day to day running of the charity.
Alongside her art practice, she has been the manager of the Estate of Anwar Jalal Shemza since 2012, championing the work of her grandfather and continuing his legacy, through exhibitions, publications and more.
Education
Education
2009 – 2012
BA Hons Fine Art, Middlesex University, London, UK
2008 – 2009
Foundation Art, Chesterfield College, Chesterfield, UK
2009 – 2012
BA Hons Fine Art, Middlesex University, London, UK
2008 – 2009
Foundation Art, Chesterfield College, Chesterfield, UK
Exhibitions
Exhibitions:
2018
ING Discerning Eye, 15th-25th November 2018, The Mall Galleries, London, UK
V & A Digital Futures, 12th July 2018, British Computer Society, London, UK
Kallida Festival, 21st-24th June 2018, Baskerville Hall, Wales
Selected Works, April – 12th July 2018, ITS Clubhouse, London, UK
ART IN FLUX: Experiments in Media Arts Now, 31st May – 3rd June 2018, Ugly Duck, London, UK
Silicon Milk Roundabout, 19th-20th May 2018, Truman Brewery, London, UK
The Other Art Fair, 22nd-25th March 2018, Victoria House, London, UK
4th LCN Showcase, 22nd-25th March 2018, Space Studios, London, UK
Universal Motherhood,10th-18th March 2018, Save the Children & Glaxosmithkline, London, UK
2017
Illusions, Menier Gallery, London, UK
It’s Art Call 2017, D Contemporary, London, UK
Xi’an Maker Faire, Xi’an, China (with support from the British Council and Maker Faire Xi’an)
EVA, British Computer Society, London, UK
Love Scenes, Lights of Soho, London, UK
The Engine Room: International Sound Art Exhibition, Morley College Gallery, London, UK
Illuminating Geometry, Gallery 286, London, UK
The Other Art Fair, Victoria House, London UK
Light Bites, Off Quay, London UK
Winter Lights, Canary Wharf, London, UK
2016
Heart Beats of Cristal, Shangri-La Hotel, The Shard, London, UK
Seeing the Unseen, Four Corners Gallery, London, UK
Cannes Film Festival, premier of Neon Demon with Lights of Soho, Cannes, France
Selected Works, Level 39, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, UK
Lights of Soho at The Other Art Fair, London, UK
Chroma Red Edition, Safehouse 1, London, UK
Zealous X, Rich Mix, London, UK
2015
Gravity, Kinetica Museum at the Hospital Club, London, UK
Signs that Say What You Want Them to Say, Lights of Soho, London, UK
Art of Burning Man, Lights of Soho, London, UK
City Lights, Lights of Soho, London, UK
PHI, Squat the Sun, London, UK
2014
Cosmophilia, Print House, London, UK
2013
‘The Doors of Perception: The Thin Veil, Kinetica Art Fair 2013: Kinetica Museum, Feature Show, London, UK
Transition, Red Gallery, London, UK
2012
Kinetica Auction Exhibition, Mother, London, UK
RAW MMXII: Art and Design Degree Show 2012, The Truman Brewery, London, UK
The Final Broadcast, The Russet Gallery, London, UK
2011
The Laws of Nature, Subway Gallery, London, UK
New Matter, Red Gate Gallery, London, UK
2007
NADFAS exhibition, Thebes Gallery, Lewes, UK
Publications:
2018
Shemza, A., ‘It Starts with the Artist: Solutions for a Sustainable Media Arts Practice,’ in P.Bowen, J, Diprose, G & Lambert, N (eds), EVA London 2018, British Computer Society, London, 2018, pp. 188-192. (Link)
2017
Shemza, A., ‘Public Interactive Art: Environmental Challenges,’ in P.Bowen, J, Diprose, G & Lambert, N (eds), EVA London 2017, British Computer Society, London, 2017, pp. 91-93. (Link)
2015
Shemza, A, ‘My Grandfather, Anwar Jalal Shemza’, Tate Etc, 16th October 2015. pp. 18-21. (Link)
Public Commissions:
2018
Polychromy, commissioned by KALLIDA on the occasion of their festival, 21st-24th June 2018.
Seconds Pass, commissioned by Save the Children and Glaxosmithkline on the occasion of the Universal Motherhood exhibition produced by ANAGRAM.
2017
Post Truth and Beauty, in collaboration with Tim Murray-Browne, commissioned on the occasion of The Engine Room: International Sound Art Exhibition, Morley College, London, UK.
2016
Heart Beats of Cristal, Louis Roederer, Shangri’La Hotel, The Shard, London, UK
Composition XV, Canary Wharf Group, Level 39, One Canada Square, London, UK
2018
ING Discerning Eye, 15th-25th November 2018, The Mall Galleries, London, UK
V & A Digital Futures, 12th July 2018, British Computer Society, London, UK
Kallida Festival, 21st-24th June 2018, Baskerville Hall, Wales
Selected Works, April – 12th July 2018, ITS Clubhouse, London, UK
ART IN FLUX: Experiments in Media Arts Now, 31st May – 3rd June 2018, Ugly Duck, London, UK
Silicon Milk Roundabout, 19th-20th May 2018, Truman Brewery, London, UK
The Other Art Fair, 22nd-25th March 2018, Victoria House, London, UK
4th LCN Showcase, 22nd-25th March 2018, Space Studios, London, UK
Universal Motherhood,10th-18th March 2018, Save the Children & Glaxosmithkline, London, UK
2017
Illusions, Menier Gallery, London, UK
It’s Art Call 2017, D Contemporary, London, UK
Xi’an Maker Faire, Xi’an, China (with support from the British Council and Maker Faire Xi’an)
EVA, British Computer Society, London, UK
Love Scenes, Lights of Soho, London, UK
The Engine Room: International Sound Art Exhibition, Morley College Gallery, London, UK
Illuminating Geometry, Gallery 286, London, UK
The Other Art Fair, Victoria House, London UK
Light Bites, Off Quay, London UK
Winter Lights, Canary Wharf, London, UK
2016
Heart Beats of Cristal, Shangri-La Hotel, The Shard, London, UK
Seeing the Unseen, Four Corners Gallery, London, UK
Cannes Film Festival, premier of Neon Demon with Lights of Soho, Cannes, France
Selected Works, Level 39, One Canada Square, Canary Wharf, London, UK
Lights of Soho at The Other Art Fair, London, UK
Chroma Red Edition, Safehouse 1, London, UK
Zealous X, Rich Mix, London, UK
2015
Gravity, Kinetica Museum at the Hospital Club, London, UK
Signs that Say What You Want Them to Say, Lights of Soho, London, UK
Art of Burning Man, Lights of Soho, London, UK
City Lights, Lights of Soho, London, UK
PHI, Squat the Sun, London, UK
2014
Cosmophilia, Print House, London, UK
2013
‘The Doors of Perception: The Thin Veil, Kinetica Art Fair 2013: Kinetica Museum, Feature Show, London, UK
Transition, Red Gallery, London, UK
2012
Kinetica Auction Exhibition, Mother, London, UK
RAW MMXII: Art and Design Degree Show 2012, The Truman Brewery, London, UK
The Final Broadcast, The Russet Gallery, London, UK
2011
The Laws of Nature, Subway Gallery, London, UK
New Matter, Red Gate Gallery, London, UK
2007
NADFAS exhibition, Thebes Gallery, Lewes, UK
Publications:
2018
Shemza, A., ‘It Starts with the Artist: Solutions for a Sustainable Media Arts Practice,’ in P.Bowen, J, Diprose, G & Lambert, N (eds), EVA London 2018, British Computer Society, London, 2018, pp. 188-192. (Link)
2017
Shemza, A., ‘Public Interactive Art: Environmental Challenges,’ in P.Bowen, J, Diprose, G & Lambert, N (eds), EVA London 2017, British Computer Society, London, 2017, pp. 91-93. (Link)
2015
Shemza, A, ‘My Grandfather, Anwar Jalal Shemza’, Tate Etc, 16th October 2015. pp. 18-21. (Link)
Public Commissions:
2018
Polychromy, commissioned by KALLIDA on the occasion of their festival, 21st-24th June 2018.
Seconds Pass, commissioned by Save the Children and Glaxosmithkline on the occasion of the Universal Motherhood exhibition produced by ANAGRAM.
2017
Post Truth and Beauty, in collaboration with Tim Murray-Browne, commissioned on the occasion of The Engine Room: International Sound Art Exhibition, Morley College, London, UK.
2016
Heart Beats of Cristal, Louis Roederer, Shangri’La Hotel, The Shard, London, UK
Composition XV, Canary Wharf Group, Level 39, One Canada Square, London, UK
