About

Artist Bio

Samantha is an interdisciplinary visual artist. Originally from Scotland and spending a portion of her childhood in Portugal, she now calls Lisbon home. Receiving a Bachelors of Fine Art with first class honours (2014) and a Masters of Fine Art with distinction (2015) from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee, Scotland, she has since received many awards for her work and participated in multiple international artist residencies in Europe, India and Kenya, including co-founding a social arts initiative called Colour the Community that aims to foster creativity and growth inside underprivileged, rural schools. 

Passionate about the exploration of art and creativity to bring communities together through creative intervention, as well as the reflective impact of socially engaged practice through public exhibition, she is motivated to explore how creative practice can be used to heighten empathetic response to crisis.

Samantha exhibits her work internationally and offers specialised art classes and courses from her studio in Lisbon. 

Artist Statement

My work uses drawing and painting to contemplate social, political and cultural issues. Ambiguity often plays a role in the formation of images to explore both the physical and ephemeral realms of human experience. Free-flowing mediums; charcoal, ink and powder pigments are complemented by juxtaposing photographic imagery and intentional subject matter. Depicting key events and figures of power that influence the nature of modern society. The work seeks to illuminate cross-cultural difference, similarity and ultimately the necessity for compassionate relating, regardless of race, age, gender, nationality or political status. It seeks to ask; how can contemporary art contribute in creating a more inclusive society? 

Exploring the question; What does it feel like to be human, alone and together amidst turbulent times? Art for me has the capacity to delve into this ambiguous question, because it shares the same quality as life. It's ambiguous and unstable.

 

CV

EDUCATION

AWARDS & ACCOLADES

2021 - Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) scholarship to fund an MRes at the Royal College of Art, Sep 2022.

2021 - QEST and Cockpit Arts London Professional Development Programme for new QEST scholars.

2021 - The Eaton Fund grant for artists

2017 - Klein Artist Works scholarship.

2016 - Nominee Scottish Variety Award for Best new Scottish artist.

2016 - The W Gordon Smith Award runner up prize.

2015 - The Fife Decorative and fine Arts Society Award. 

2015 - The Duncan of Jordanstone Postgraduate award for best academic performance.

2015 - Royal Scottish Academy John Kinross Scholarship to Florence.

2015 - Friends of the RSA award

2014 - The Alexander Graham Monro Travel Award best work for an artist under 30.

2015 - The William Sangster Phillip's academic scholarship and bursary

2014 - The James Guthrie Memorial Art Prize

2014 - The Hermione Hammond runner up drawing prize.

2010 - The Benni Esposito Drawing Award 

EXHIBITIONS

SOLO

2019 - A Collective Public (Part 1) - Fabrica Braço de Prata, Lisbon, Portugal. 

2015 - Beyond The veil, Masters show, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Dundee.

2012 - Open up I'm Burning Through The Blossom Lounge, Toronto.

2012 - The Pittenweem Arts Festival, Pittenweem, Fife.

2011 - The Pittenweem Arts Festival, Pittenweem, Fife.

 

GROUP 

2021 - Open Studio Exhibition - LX Factory, Studio 1.14B, First Floor, Lisbon, Portugal 

2020 - Sustainable Connection – Con Gusto/Unobvious Lab, Lisbon, Portugal       

2020 - MFA Alumni Show, Flora Kirsch Beck Art Gallery: Alma College, Michigan, USA.

2019 - Ateliers Abertas Edição 3, Rua Conceição da Gloria, Lisbon, Portugal.

2017 - 12 x 12 - Galeria da Graça, Lisbon, Portugal.

2017 - Ateliers Abertas, Rua Conceicao da Gloria, Lisbon, Portugal.

2017 - Imagining the Future, A School and Community Arts Development Initiative - with Chittaranjan Nayak, as part of c-Hub and Tafaria foundation, at Tafaria Castle, Nyeri, Kenya.

2016 - Group show of community projects as part of c-Hub and Tafaria foundation at Tafaria Castle, Nyeri, Kenya.

2016 - Supporting Mind Scotland, The Image Collective Gallery, Ocean Terminal, Edinburgh, Scotland.

2016 - Zorba the Buddha International Residence Exhibition, Delhi, India. 

2016 - Gallery 48 Opening Night, Gallery 48, Westport, Dundee, Scotland.

2016 - Open Studio Exhibition, Jiwar International Residence for Artists and Researchers in Urban creativity, Barcelona, Spain.

2016 - The W. Gordon Smith Painting Competition Exhibition, The Dovecot Gallery, Edinburgh.

2016 - RSA Open, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, Scotland.

2015 - Winter Postcard Show, WALL PROJECTS, 13 Bents Road, Montrose, Scotland.

2015 - ARTSYLAND 9 NEW GRADUATES EXHIBITION II, WALL PROJECTS, 13 Bents Road Montrose, Scotland. 

2015 - New Scottish Artists. The Fleming Collection Gallery, London.

2015 - New Contemporaries 'Selected Artist', RSA (Royal Scottish Academy) Edinburgh.

2015 - RSW (Royal Society Watercolours), RSA (Royal Scottish Academy) Edinburgh.

2014 - Solstice Gallery De Goede Toronto, ON.

2014 - Winter Tales, Duncan of Jordanstone College of art and Design, Dundee.

2014- Best of Degree show, The Sixfoot Gallery, Glasgow.

2014 - Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art Degree Show, Dundee.

2013 - Open Up I'm Burning Through, Top Floor Studio, Toronto.

 

NOTABLE PRESS

2021 - Samantha Wilson’s illuminating portfolio highlights a dark corner of a global humanitarian crisis

2020 - Samantha Wilson, b.1990, University of Dundee Fine Art Collections, Tower Foyer & Lamb Galleries.

2015 - GQ Magazine, Why Dundee is becoming Britain's coolest little city, by Robert Johnston.

2015 - New Scottish Artists on Show at the Fleming Collection, London, by Ian Caldwell.

2015 - ART Scottish Art News: RSA: New Contemporaries 2015, Griselda Murray Brown.

2015 - University News, Art and Architecture graduates to exhibit at 2015 new Contemporaries by Grant Hill.

2015 - Art reviews: RSW by William Crosbie

2015 - STV Dundee, Award-winning Dundee artists pick up nearly £5k in prizes, by Joe Birchenall.

2015 - Dundee University, Travel Beckons for Award Winning Artists, by Grant Hill.

2015 - Dundee Wave 102 Radio, Interview on RSW Alexander Graham Monro Travel Award.

2014 - Central Station, The Creative Social Network, Life After Art School with Samantha Wilson.

2014 - Central Station, The Creative Social Network, DJCAD Degree Show Review.

2013 - Holly In The City blog, Upcoming Art Show, Open Up I'm Burning Through.