About

Samantha is a mixed-media visual artist based in Lisbon, Portugal. Originally from Scotland, she has worked and lived between the UK, Canada, Italy, Spain, India and Africa. Completing her BA of Fine Art and MFA in Art and Humanities from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design in Dundee, Scotland, 2015. She has since received many awards for her work and participated in multiple international artist residencies. Exhibiting her work between the UK, US, Europe and India, she now works full-time as an artist and Fine Arts Facilitator in Lisbon.

She is co-founder of Colour the Community, a Social Arts Initiative in Kenya, which aims to foster creativity and growth inside rural schools and their surrounding community. Samantha is passionate about the exploration of art and creativity to bring communities together through creative intervention through exhibition, festivals, curation and specialised art courses.

While figurative art remains her primary subject matter she also finds inspiration in nature, florals and interior design. Since 2020, inspired like many post Covid-19 restrictions she has been encouraged to extend her art into new business ventures, including turning her art and designs into apparel and upholstery fabrics as well as developing new art classes and programs for aspiring artists looking to develop their art projects without losing inspiration. She believes in the power of art and creativity to lift us into higher states of being and is on a mission to help as many passionate creators as possible, find their creative voices through personalised one on one art courses.

CV

EDUCATION

2015 - MFA Art and Humanities with Distinction, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Dundee, Scotland.

2014 - BA Fine Art, First Class Honours, Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Dundee, Scotland.

2012- Drawing and Painting, OCAD University, Toronto, ON, Canada.

2010 - HNC in Contemporary Art Practices, Dundee College, Dundee, Scotland.

AWARDS

2017 - Klein Artist Works scholarship.

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

2016 - The W.Gordon.Smith Competition 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.

GALLERIES

LISBON PORTUGAL, Galeria de Arte AFK www.arteafk.com / galeria@arteafk.com

UNITED KINGDOM - New Blood Art https://newbloodart.com/artist/samantha-wilson

LOS ANGELES - Saatchi Art www.saatchiart.com/Samanthawilsonart

RESIDENCIES

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 - ‘Making Visible’ as part of c-Hub and Tafaria foundation at Tafaria Castle, Nyeri, Kenya.

2016 - Zorba The Buddha - Creativity, Consciousness, Celebration, Delhi, India.

2016 - JIWAR International Residence for Artists and Researchers in Urban creativity, Barcelona, Spain.

2015 - RSA John kinross Scholarship, Florence, Italy.

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

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 EXHIBITIONS

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.

PRESS

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.