Chantal Powell
Chantal Powell
Charmouth, Dorset , United Kingdom
About Chantal Powell
Chantal Powell creates sculptural objects and installations that explore concepts of truth, illusion and constructs of reality. A PhD focusing on the social psychology of human relationships informs her practice as an artist.
Her works are symbolic examinations, often personal, into untangling faith, disillusionment, make-believe and myth. With older works often playing up theatrical facade and illusionary twists, we are led to consider the self-fabrication and deception that occurs in our personal constructions of our realities and our post truth society. Recent works turn this focus towards the impact that a chronic illness has had upon her own mental constructs of reality. They make use of primtive and symbolic materials in order to explore themes of fragility, value, and transformation. They reference a mythic world of pre-modern artifacts, talismans and alchemy – a faith in ritual and self-healing.
Powell’s work demonstrates a joy of making, a commitment to understanding the inherent vocabulary of her materials, and a desire to explore the riddle of our psychological world.
She has exhibited widely in the UK and internationally, most notably at Guildhall Art Gallery in London (alongside Paula Rego, Yinka Shonibare, Grayson Perry and Matt Collishaw), The Royal West Academy in Bristol, OCCCA in California, and at collateral events at the 53rd and 54th Venice Biennales.
She was shortlisted for prestigious Mark Tanner Sculpture Award (2015) and selected by Griffin Gallery to create a collaborative work with a Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust scholar (2015). She has been elected as a member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors (2013) and was a finalist in the Young Masters Art Prize (2014). In 2013 she was awarded a Re:view Bursary for critical and artistic development by The Artist Information Company which led to a period of mentoring by gallerist Danielle Arnaud.
Powell has also worked on a number of public commissions including two installations in Saltwell Park for NewcastleGateshead Initiative; site specific installations for both Guildhall Art Gallery London and a grade II listed church in Southampton, and an interactive public work for Museums At Night. She currently organises and runs the artist residency program at Hogchester Arts.
Her works are symbolic examinations, often personal, into untangling faith, disillusionment, make-believe and myth. With older works often playing up theatrical facade and illusionary twists, we are led to consider the self-fabrication and deception that occurs in our personal constructions of our realities and our post truth society. Recent works turn this focus towards the impact that a chronic illness has had upon her own mental constructs of reality. They make use of primtive and symbolic materials in order to explore themes of fragility, value, and transformation. They reference a mythic world of pre-modern artifacts, talismans and alchemy – a faith in ritual and self-healing.
Powell’s work demonstrates a joy of making, a commitment to understanding the inherent vocabulary of her materials, and a desire to explore the riddle of our psychological world.
She has exhibited widely in the UK and internationally, most notably at Guildhall Art Gallery in London (alongside Paula Rego, Yinka Shonibare, Grayson Perry and Matt Collishaw), The Royal West Academy in Bristol, OCCCA in California, and at collateral events at the 53rd and 54th Venice Biennales.
She was shortlisted for prestigious Mark Tanner Sculpture Award (2015) and selected by Griffin Gallery to create a collaborative work with a Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust scholar (2015). She has been elected as a member of the Royal British Society of Sculptors (2013) and was a finalist in the Young Masters Art Prize (2014). In 2013 she was awarded a Re:view Bursary for critical and artistic development by The Artist Information Company which led to a period of mentoring by gallerist Danielle Arnaud.
Powell has also worked on a number of public commissions including two installations in Saltwell Park for NewcastleGateshead Initiative; site specific installations for both Guildhall Art Gallery London and a grade II listed church in Southampton, and an interactive public work for Museums At Night. She currently organises and runs the artist residency program at Hogchester Arts.
Education
PhD Social Psychology
Exhibitions
2015 Enchanted Parks Commission, Saltwell Park, Newcastle Gateshead, UK
2015 Griffin Gallery & QEST collaboration, The Crypt Gallery, London, UK
2014 Existential Mirage (solo), Stand Clear Gallery, Portsmouth, UK
2014 Museums At Night, The Guildhall Art Gallery, London, UK
2014 Enchanted Parks Commission, Saltwell Park, Newcastle Gateshead, UK
2014 Young Masters Art Prize, Lloyds Club, London, UK
2014 Young Masters Art Prize, Sphinx Fine Art, London, UK
2014 Museums At Night, The Guildhall Art Gallery, London, UK
2013 Victoriana: the art of revival, The Guildhall Gallery, London, UK
2013 Burning Bright, Hyatt Regency- The Churchill, London, UK
2013 Cave, Aspex gallery, Portsmouth, UK
2012 Unnatural Natural History, Royal West Academy, Bristol, UK
2012 Imprint, Serpentine Gallery's Centre For Possible Studies,London, UK
2012 London Calling, OCCCA Museum, Orange County, US
2011 The Fall Of the Majestic Elk (solo), Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Wolverhampton, UK
2011 FLAGSTOP, South Bay Lexus, Torrance, Los Angeles, CA
2011 Afternoon Tea hosted by WW Gallery, Campo San Polo, 54th Venice Biennale, IT
2010 Traces and Testament (solo), Westbourne Grove Church Artspace, Notting Hill, London, UK
2010 The National Open Art Competition, Minerva Gallery, Chichester, UK
2010 Time, WW Gallery, Hackney, London, UK
2010 Recollection, Chapel Gallery, Lancashire, UK
2009 ReOpen, The Lighthouse Centre for the Arts & KUBE, Poole, UK
2009 Cork Street Open Exhibition, Cork Street Gallery, London, UK
2009 Travelling Light, WW Gallery, London and toured to 53rd Venice Biennale, UK & IT
2009 Open Show 09, Surface Gallery, Nottingham, UK
2015 Griffin Gallery & QEST collaboration, The Crypt Gallery, London, UK
2014 Existential Mirage (solo), Stand Clear Gallery, Portsmouth, UK
2014 Museums At Night, The Guildhall Art Gallery, London, UK
2014 Enchanted Parks Commission, Saltwell Park, Newcastle Gateshead, UK
2014 Young Masters Art Prize, Lloyds Club, London, UK
2014 Young Masters Art Prize, Sphinx Fine Art, London, UK
2014 Museums At Night, The Guildhall Art Gallery, London, UK
2013 Victoriana: the art of revival, The Guildhall Gallery, London, UK
2013 Burning Bright, Hyatt Regency- The Churchill, London, UK
2013 Cave, Aspex gallery, Portsmouth, UK
2012 Unnatural Natural History, Royal West Academy, Bristol, UK
2012 Imprint, Serpentine Gallery's Centre For Possible Studies,London, UK
2012 London Calling, OCCCA Museum, Orange County, US
2011 The Fall Of the Majestic Elk (solo), Wolverhampton Art Gallery, Wolverhampton, UK
2011 FLAGSTOP, South Bay Lexus, Torrance, Los Angeles, CA
2011 Afternoon Tea hosted by WW Gallery, Campo San Polo, 54th Venice Biennale, IT
2010 Traces and Testament (solo), Westbourne Grove Church Artspace, Notting Hill, London, UK
2010 The National Open Art Competition, Minerva Gallery, Chichester, UK
2010 Time, WW Gallery, Hackney, London, UK
2010 Recollection, Chapel Gallery, Lancashire, UK
2009 ReOpen, The Lighthouse Centre for the Arts & KUBE, Poole, UK
2009 Cork Street Open Exhibition, Cork Street Gallery, London, UK
2009 Travelling Light, WW Gallery, London and toured to 53rd Venice Biennale, UK & IT
2009 Open Show 09, Surface Gallery, Nottingham, UK
