CURRENT + UPCOMING
Artist in Residence, Natur am Byth: Secretive Species, Life on the Fringe. July 2024 - April 2025.
Group show with On Your Face Collective, Elysium, Swansea. February 2025
EDUCATION
Masters in Fine Art Practice with Distinction. Glasgow School of Art, 2020.
BA (Hons) Painting. Grays School of Art, 2013.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS + PERFORMANCES
Holding Place. Stiwdio Griffith, Swansea, Wales, 2024.
Smothered. Lyth Art Centre, Wick, 2023.
The Island is The Gallery. Site Specific performances around Shetland, 2021.
Ways of Seeing. Mareel, Shetland, 2020.
Paes-Wisp. Shetland Museum, 2019.
Half oot afore i’ da left. An Tobar, Isle of Mull, 2018.
Island Connections. Bonhoga Gallery, Shetland, 2017.
Erosions. Newave Gallery, Aberdeen, 2015.
Fragments with Gemma Balfour. Shetland Museum, 2014.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS + PERFORMANCES
Twilight Barking. Turner House, Penarth, 2024.
The Festival of Quilts. NEC Birmingham, 2024.
CHALKFACE. Carnedd, Cardiff, 2024.
Môr / Sea. Pontio, Bangor, 2024.
Naming the Thing. Freelands Foundation, London, 2024.
Maes Chwarae. Experimentica2024, Chapter Art Centre, Cardiff, 2024.
Southwark Park Open. Southwark Park Galleries, London, 2023.
Mini Print Cymru. Mission Gallery, Swansea, 2023 + Royal Cambrian Academy, Conwy, 2024.
The Thursday Show. Tactile Bosch at Shift, Cardiff, 2023.
Slow Praxis. Tatha Gallery, Fife, 2023.
Made It: The Alumni Strikes Back. Paradise Works, Salford, 2023.
Made in Roath Open. G39, Cardiff, 2023.
Room. Reid Gallery, Glasgow, 2022.
REVERB. Visual Art Scotland at RSA, Edinburgh, 2022.
Mak a Laang Erm. Gaada, Shetland, 2021.
Hidden Flowers Bloom Most Beautifully. Shetland + Switzerland, 2021.
MADE IT. Short Supply, 2020.
Mushrooms in the Dark. Situationist RCA, London, 2020.
Postgraduate Showcase 2020, Glasgow School of Art, 2020.
Beyond the Conventions of Painting. Saltspace, Glasgow, 2020.
Fiskeskind. Fjord & Bælt, Denmark, 2019.
Nine Lines. The Art School, Glasgow, 2019.
Across Land and Sea. Circus Art Space, Inverness, 2019.
Coast. An Talla Solais, Ullapool, 2019.
Utomhus. North Atlantic Lighthouse, Hanstholm, Denmark, 2019.
Hopelessly Devoted. Garment Factory, Glasgow, 2019.
Perception. Shetland Museum, Shetland, 2018.
Space Station ØY, Motí at ØY Festival, Papa Westray, 2018.
RSA Open. Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, 2018.
islandess with Jane Walker. Eastern Edge Gallery, Newfoundland, 2017.
Relate North. Arctic Sustainable Arts & Design, The University of Lapland, Finland, 2017.
VAU Members Show. Crownpoint Gallery, Glasgow, 2017.
RSA Open. Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, 2017.
Traces. Bonhoga Gallery, Shetland, 2017.
Reflector. AARK, Korpo, Finland, 2016.
VAU Members Show. St Margaret’s House, Edinburgh, 2016.
Black and White. Bonhoga Gallery, Shetland, 2016.
Method (in the madness). Patriothall Gallery, Edinburgh, 2016.
Toaty Wee. VAU Studios, Glasgow, Scotland, 2016.
Stuffed Gallery. Newave Gallery, Aberdeen, 2016.
VAU Members Show. Generator Projects, Dundee, 2015.
Fragments with Gemma Balfour. Shetland Museum, 2014
VAU Members Show. The Old Hairdressers, Glasgow, 2014.
Visual Art & Craft Awards Exhibition. Bonhoga Gallery, Shetland, 2014.
Degree Show. Gray’s School of Art, Aberdeen, 2013.
Fourth Year Painting Exhibition. The Arts Complex, Edinburgh, 2013.
Ice Hole. Turku Arts Academy, Turku, Finland, 2012.
Idyll. Brinkhall Manor, Turku, Finland, 2012.
Winter Exhibition. Peacocks Visual Arts, Aberdeen, 2011.
On Course. Da Gadderie, Shetland Museum, Shetland, 2008.
RESIDENCIES + AWARDS
Go & See grant, Wales Arts Health & Well-being Network, 2024.
Freelands Foundation Studio Fellowship, Swansea College of Art, Wales, 2023-24.
AiR, Agora: Tactile Bosch, Cardiff, 2023.
AiR, 24hour Residency with Arcade Campfa + Spit and Sawdust, Cardiff, 2023.
Refresh Now, Performance Award. Shetland Arts, 2021
Visual Art and Craft Maker Award. Shetland Arts + Creative Scotland, 2021, 2017 + 2013.
AiR at The Forest Arts, Edinburgh / the internet, 2020.
AiR at The Royal Drawing School at Dumfries House, 2019.
AiR at Hanstholm Art Space, Denmark, 2019.
AiR at Bothy Project. Sweeney's Bothy, Isle of Eigg, 2018
AiR at Archipelago Art Residency. Korpo, Finland, 2016.
Shetland Open Award, ‘Painting, Drawing + Sculpture’, 2016.
AiR, Mull Arts and Sustainability Residency at An Tobar with Creative Carbon Scotland, 2015.
CURATION, PRODUCTION + PROGRAMMING
Celf ar y Cyd Curatorial Researcher: Care + Access, Glynn Vivian Art Gallery, Swansea, 2024.
Programme Coordinator. Gaada, Shetland, 2020-22.
Producer. Frontiers in Retreat: Edge Effects. SSW at CCA, Glasgow, 2017.
Programme Assistant. Scottish Sculpture Workshop, Lumsden, 2017.
Facilitator. Sonica, ‘Music, Technology and Engagement’. CCA, Glasgow, 2015.
Facilitator. ‘VAU Pillow Talk: Emerging Years’. South Block, Glasgow, 2015.
LECTURING + MENTORSHIP
UWE Bristol, Associate Lecturer. Visual Culture: Fashion Textiles. 2024 - current.
Artist Mentor, Porthmeor Studios, St Ives, Cornwall. Supported by Freelands Foundation. 2024.
Swansea College of Art. Lecturing Fellow. Fine Art. 2023 - 24.
University of Highlands and Islands. Lecturer. Creative Industries + Community Learning. 2016 -19.
DURATIONAL PROJECTS
islandness, 2017 - 2020
Islandness was a living experiment. An open platform spanning the North Atlantic, this project explored life on two northern islands through the art practices of two islanders: Jane Walker (Newfoundland) and Vivian Ross-Smith (Shetland).
Visual Artist Unit, 2013 -18
Co-Founder and Communications Officer for Visual Artist Unit, an arts organisation supporting emerging artists based in Scotland and improving public engagement and access to contemporary art for the wider community.
WORKSHOPS + TALKS
Workshop: Have you seen the horizon lately? Online performance score writing, On Your Face Collective, 2024
Workshops: Embroidery, Queertawe, Swansea. 2024.
Workshops: Twilight Barking, Arcade Campfa at Llandough Hospital Mental Health Unit 2024
Panel discussion: Sustaining a Creative Practice with Art UK + SCAN, 2024.
Workshops: Embroidery + Appliqué, Out and Wild Festival, 2024.
Artist Talk: Brighton School of Art, 2023.
Artist Talk: Bath School of Art, 2023.
Artist Talk: Mission Gallery, Swansea, 2023.
Artist Talk: Swansea College of Art, University of Wales Trinity St David, 2023.
Guest Lecture: Resilience, Kingston School of Art, London, 2021.
Workshops: Banner Making for COP26, Project Ability, Shetland/Glasgow, 2021,
Panelist: Sail Britain, Sea Stories: Islands and Remoteness, 2020.
Workshop Leader. Arts in Care, Shetland Arts, 2016-19.
Workshop: Fish Skin stitching for Kulturmødet Mors (Danish Cultural Meeting), 2019.
Workshop: Fish skin as textiles. Hanstholm, Denmark, 2019,
Guest Speaker: Hanstholm Lighthouse Culture Club, Denmark, 2019.
Workshop: Lead Artist for Autism Strategy art workshops, Shetland, 2018.
Lecture: The internet, a tool for establishing projects. Gray’s School of Art, Aberdeen, 2018.
Panelist: Are we at the Tipping Point? Sonica, CCA, Glasgow, 2017.
Guest Artist/Speaker: Flotilla, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, 2017.
Workshop: Fish Skin as Art and Craft. Bonavista Biennale, Newfoundland, 2017.
Artist Talk: Islandness. Eastern Edge Gallery, Newfoundland, 2017.
COMMISSIONS + PUBLIC ART PROJECTS
Commission to make artwork for Queen Margarethe II of Denmark. Hanstholm Harbour, 2021.
Refresh Now. Shetland Arts, 2020.
Plutonic. Blue Sky Office Space, Aberdeen, 2013.
You Cannot Step in the Same River Twice. Turku, Finland, 2012.
WRITING + PUBLICATIONS
Publication: Teimladwyedd / Feelabilities. Funded by Freelands Foundation
Publication: Transcoding. Funded by Creative Scotland’s VACMA.
Article: Art UK, ‘Being…Vivian Ross-Smith’
Essay: Art North Magazine
Publication: Hanstholm Art Space, Vol 1
Publication: Altered States Zine
Feature: SADGRADS 2020, Issue 2
Essay: The Fleming Collection, Scottish Art Unlocked: Vivian Ross-Smith
Essay: Relate North, islandness: Making Space in Newfoundland and Shetland
Guest post: Working with Wool, Jamieson and Smith
Publication: islandess, a collection of photographs and texts from the Newfoundland islandness project