No More Pink

About

Statement

Sue Williams is a prominent international artist with a recognised body of work and an exhibition history of both solo and group shows on five continents. Her autoethnographic practice, whether drawing or text, articulates the complexities of human relationships in a contemporary cultural context – whether visual or textual she demonstrates a vulnerability which invariably elicits an effective response. Williams continues to challenge and explore new concepts and multi-disciplinary art forms offering a direct response to the complex world of human frailty, drawing the viewer into a world of provocative sexual and emotional politics.

Williams is Professor of Fine Art in Swansea College of Art, University of Wales Trinity Saint David and is one of Wales’ leading contemporary female artists.

‘To say that the images are obscene, verging on the pornographic is a conservative way of disqualifying them, of trying to remove, hide or delete the immense humanity that marks them. And it is this immense humanity, and the familiarity of experiences lived through and acknowledged, that confers the political and ethical dimensions of the work. The ambiguous meanings held in these works must be negotiated by each individual viewer. When they are subjected to contemplation, by being simultaneously seductive and provocative, they return the spectator’s gaze, questioning the viewer about his or her own emotions and desires’.

Ivo Mesquita, Artistic Director of the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo in Brazil

‘Sue Williams’ work grabbed me, touched me, struck me as something potent and important when I first saw it. Its rawness, its energy, and its sheer scale made me curious to see and know more. And what I have discovered is a body of work which speaks to my interests in communication and sexuality as well as exerting a visceral, emotional appeal’.

Sadie Plant, philosopher author and scholar. The Most Radical Gesture, Zeroes and Ones, Writing on Drugs

CV Selected from 2000

Future Plans

Upcoming publications for Bloomsbury Academic Publishing (London & New York): Wife, Witch, Whore: Essential Conversations about Gender, Art and Culture (2025)

Recent

2021

  • Keynote artist speaker at International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women – A Joan Eardley Event Dundee University
  • Works recently bought by National Library of Wales
  • LUST LONGING LOVE by SUE WILLIAMS & MARILYN ALLEN.
    • ISBN: 978-1-9160411-2-7

2018

  • Received ACW grant – `STUDIO 18 Bridging the Gap exhibition

2014

  • Professor of Fine Art at University Wales Trinity Saint David
  • Speaker: Feminist Perspectives and Art Practice: Artes Mundi 

2013

  • Selected for Artists Pension Trust London
  • Board of Trustees, AXISWEB
  • Higher Education Academy Fellow

2012

  • Resident Artist (RA) with the National Dance Company Wales
  • ‘Touch Me’ design collaboration with Fresh-West Design Ltd

2011

  • ‘CRACKED’ a multi-medium collaboration with National Dance Company Wales, Millennium Centre, Wales
  • ‘Phantoms of Us’ collaboration with choreographer Eleesha Young-Drennan        

2010

  • Visiting Advisor for the Rijk Akademie Amsterdam Holland
  • ‘IMBUE’ a collaboration with choreographer Eleesha Young-Drennan of National Dance Company Wales

 2009

  • Received Creative Wales Award
  • ‘SHH!’ a collaboration with choreographer Roy Campbell-Moore, dance performers Jem Treays and Chloe Loftus in response to Sue Williams’ work.
  • Registered/trade-marked ‘nomorepink’ for further art-based concepts

 2006

  • Selected for the ARTES MUNDI 2006
  • Selected for The Women’s Art Library Special Collections, Goldsmiths College, University of London
  • Selector for the Kevin Slingsby Prize Funnel Vision, The Ruskin, Oxford

1996 – 99

  • Visual Arts Board, Arts Council of Wales

1976 – 87

  • BA, MA Hons Fine Art Painting

PRESENTATION – LECTURING – TEACHING POSITIONS

Present

  • Professor of Fine Art, Swansea College of Art UWTSD
  • Programme Director in Fine Art, Swansea College of Art UWTSD

2015

  • THROB presentation Reardon Smith Theatre
  • THROB presentation Riverfront, Newport
  • Speaker at The British Society for Sexual Medicine Annual Conference

2014

  • Lecture presented to Contemporary Art Society of Wales

2013

  • Lecture at The China Academy of Art, Hangzhou China

2007 – 08

  • Research Fellowship with CIRIC, Dynevor, Swansea

2004

  • Speaker at The Glynn Vivian gallery, Swansea – ELSEWHERE
  • Speaker at the National Museum & Galleries of Wales – A PROPOS
  • Project Co-ordinator for “Seeing Drawing” DVD University of Plymouth and London Institute
  • Speaker at the National Women’s Conference, Gregynog, Wales

2002 – 2010

  • University of Wales Institute, Cardiff. Wales

2000

  • Faculty of Art & Design, University of Plymouth, Exeter Devon

DRAWING PROGRAMMES – RESIDENCIES

2000

  • Drawing Programme ongoing
  • WIDE OPEN’ drawing installation

2006

  • Drawing from ‘the book to the wall’, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

2002

  • Drawing to Leonardo da Vinci, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Wales            

2001

  • SITE-ATIONS Project, Staten Island, New York

1999 – 2002

  • Drawing Programme. University Wales Institute, Cardiff. Wales

1997

  • BODYWORKS funded by European funding CARTOON.

AWARDS – COMMISSIONS

2018

  • Received Research Funding UWTSD – production of limited edition prints with Print Market Project.

2016

  • Arts Council of Wales Training and Development Funding – Learning Film Editing Directing and Artistic Processes

2015

  • Arts Council of Wales Major Arts Award for THROB

2013

  • Arts Council of Wales Tour Funding for ‘SHH!’
  • Wales Arts International Funding – China
  • Commissioned by Hole Editions Print Workshop with Tamarind Master Printer Lee Turner

2012

  • Wales Arts International – New York City
  • Film commission WATCH ME …I KNOW HER, I THINK I DO!’ – OutCasting Fourth Wall Festival 2012
  • CRACKED commissioned to perform by Cardiff Contemporary

2011

  • Wales Arts International – New York

2009

  • Creative Wales Award

2006

  • Arts Council of Wales Project Grant

2002

  • A Propos – National Museum & Gallery of Wales

2000

  • National Eisteddfod Gold Medal Award 2000
  • Rootstein Hopkins Foundation Award for Painting 2000
  • UNG – YOUNG – JUNG, Avesta Biennale 2000 Sweden

PURCHASES – COLLECTIONS

National Library of Wales

National Museum & Galleries of Wales

National Assembly for Wales

Contemporary Art Society

Sotheby’s Contemporary Art Auction, The Orangery, Margam Park, Wales

South Glamorgan County Council

Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea

Numerous private collections worldwide

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS – CATOLOGUES

2020

  • LUST LONGING LOVE by SUE WILLIAMS & MARILYN ALLEN
    • ISBN: 978-1-9160411-2-7
  • CONVERS[ISOL]ATION – a collaborative project between Sue Williams and Marilyn Allen, which responds to the experience of social isolation during COVID 19, 2020.

2018

  • Contemporary Arts Society Wales Then & Now
  • Vis-à-Vis Oriel y Bont University of South Wales

2017

  • OPEN BOOKS (no. 3) INDIA

2016

  • OPEN BOOKS (no. 3) CANADA

2015

  • OPEN BOOKS (no. 2) AUSTRALIA

2014

  • Artisterium, Centre for Contemporary Art, Tbilisi, Georgia

2013

  • OPEN BOOKS (no. 1) CHINA

2010

  • ‘We have the walls, we have the plans’ Mostyn, Llandudno, Wales

2009

  • NY Arts Magazine – April 2009 edition

2007

  • GOOD FOUNDATIONS by Paul Glinkowski Funded and produced by the Rootstein Hopkins Foundation
  • NY Arts Magazine – Jan/Feb 2007 edition

2006

2005

  • IIMAGING THE IMAGINATION by Christine Kinsey and Ceridwen

Lloyd-Morgan. Gomer Publications

2004

  • ELSEWHERE – Glyn Vivian Gallery publication written by Hugh Adams

2003

  • IMAGING WALES contemporary art in context by Hugh Adams by Seren Publications Ltd
  • HERE & NOW essays on contemporary art in Wales by Iwan Bala and published by Seren Publications Ltd

2001

  • SUE WILLIAMS written by Iwan Bala. Planet Publications
  • DARLLEN DELWEDDAU written by Iwan Bala. Carreg Gwalch Publication
  • META – Imaging the Imagination

2000

  • The Artists Project presents CLEAN SLATE and The European Artists Network Conference
  • ‘PAINTING Ysbryd – Spirit Wales’ – Contemporary Practise with Paint. Forward written by Art Critic Norbert Lynton             

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS – WORKS

2022

  • Raptures & Ruptures Gallery TEN Cardiff

2020

  • BARE RED – Lockdown exhibition Gallery TEN Cardiff

2019

  • LoveLustLonging – Golden Thread Gallery Belfast

2018

  • MY CHERRY BOMB – STUDIO 18 Pontycymer Wales – Gallery TEN.

2017

  • I SEE RED – Gallery TEN. Cardiff

2016

  • FEELY – BayArt Gallery Cardiff

2015

  • TOUCHY – Gallery TEN. Cardiff
  • THROB: EXPOSURE at National Museum & Galleries of Wales (8 Nov 2015) Presentation and expose by collaborative artists
  • THROB: PERFORMANCE at The Riverfront (13 Nov 2015) Staged performance by collaborative artists

2012

  • ‘POKE ME’ Ffin y Parc Galery, Conwy, North Wales
  • ‘POKE ME!’ SL Gallery, London

2011

  • ‘CRACKED’ a multi-medium collaboration with National Dance Company Wales, Millennium Centre, Wales
  • ‘Phantoms of us’ collaboration with choreographer Eleesha Young- Drennan

2010

  • ‘STRAPLESS’ a dialogue between Artist and Psychoanalyst
  • new works under the umbrella title ‘TULU GIRLS’
  • ‘IMBUE’ collaboration with choreographer Aleesha Drennon
    • National Dance Company Wales, Millennium Centre Wales

2009

  • ‘SHH!’ drawing installation from ‘dirty linen online’ series
    • National Dance Company Wales, Millennium Centre Wales

2008

  • ‘small talk, high heels’ Ormeau Baths Gallery, Belfast, Ireland     

2007

  • ‘small talk, high heels’ National Gallery of Harare, Zimbabwe
  • ‘small talk, high heels’ National Gallery of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe

2006

2005

  • Three Parts Iced Over. A Striking Attitudes performance and exhibition, Cardiff

2002

  • Washington Gallery, Penarth, South Glamorgan. Wales

2001

  • ‘ALL HERS’ Llantarnam Grange, Cwmbran, Gwent. Wales
  • National Assembly for Wales
  • Welsh Parliamentary Buildings, Brussel

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2021

  • Fully Awake 6:6 Teaching Painting Holden Gallery Manchester
  • We_Are_Ok_ We_Are_Not_Ok BUKA BUKU The GoDown Malaysia
  • TEN Gallery Winter Show

2018

  • Selected artist for Elizabeth Ross exhibition – Queretaro City Museum Mexico
  • Contemporary Arts Society Wales – Then & Now Pierhead Cardiff
  • Vis-à-vis – Conversation Project – June/July 2018
  • Vis-à-vis Exhibition – September 2018
  • By Invitation – Royal Cambrian Academy  

2017

  • Frenando Pradilla Gallery, Madrid
  • OPEN BOOKS – INDIA

2016

  • “Exquisite Corpse” – Gold + Beton, Koln, Germany
  • Frenando Pradilla Gallery, Madrid
  • OPEN BOOKS – CANADA
  • OPEN BOOKS – AUSTRALIA

2015

  • “Exquisite Corpse” Fuse Art Space, Bradford

2014

  • Artisterium, Centre for Contemporary Art, Tbilisi, Georgia
  • OPEN BOOKS The Hui Gallery CUHK in Hong Kong
  • OPEN BOOKS Logan Art Gallery, Queensland, Australia
  • ‘HOME’ exhibition, Dean Clough Gallery, Halifax, Yorkshire
  • Three/Tair – Three women, Gallery Ten, Cardiff

2013

  • OPEN BOOKS The Sanshang Museum Of Contemporary Art, Hangzhou, China
  • OPEN BOOKS touring exhibition National Library Aberyswyth
  • OPEN BOOKS touring exhibition Bay Arts Cardiff

2011

  • ‘Carte Blanche’ Analix Forever, Geneva

2010

  • Sue Williams – Robert Slingsby, Gallery Genesis, Athens
  • ‘We have the mirrors, we have the plans’. Oriel Mostyn Llandudno Wales

2008

  • Shang Yunsu Art Gallery, Beijing, China

2007

  • 56 Group Show Llantarnam Grange, Cwmbran, Wales

2006

  • Artes Mundi – National Museum & Galleries of Wales

2005

  • Selected for the Mostyn 15 Open, Llandudno, Wales

2004

  • ELSEWHERE – Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea
  • META – Bay Art Gallery, Bute Street, Cardiff
  • Harlech Biennale/The Hague

2003

  • Selected for the Mostyn 13 Open, Llandudno, Wales
  • Work selected from National Museum & Galleries of Wales Collection for Oriel Davies Gallery, Newtown, Powys
  • “META” Aberystwyth, Wales
  • Welsh Contemporaries, London

2002

  • ‘A Propos’ Ceri Richards, The National Museum of Wales
  • Ysbryd Spirit Wales, Le Salle Aragon, Trelaze, France
  • Ysbryd Spirit Wales, Le Centre Culturel, Carhaix, France
  • Ysbryd Spirit Wales, Le Chambre de Commerceet de l’Industrie, Festival Interceltique de L’Orient, France

2001

  • Group Exhibition Painting Ysbryd/Spirit Wales, The Mall Galleries, London          
  • National Eisteddfod 2001

2000

  • Group Exhibition Painting Ysbryd/Spirit Wales, Glamorgan University, Pontypridd, Wales
  • Avesta Art 2000 Sweden
  • Drawing Exhibition University of Lincolnshire and Humberside
  • The Welsh Contemporaries, Riverside Studios, London