CV

Education: MA Photographic Studies, University of Westminster, (2010); Drama Studio London (1997); BA English, Durham University (1996). 

Represented by: 

The Photographers’ Gallery, London and Anzenberger Gallery, Vienna. 

Public Collections: Conversations with my mother artist book: ‘Rare books and manuscripts’ Yale Center for British Art, New Haven, US; Tate Library, Tate Britain, London; ‘National Art Library,’ Victoria and Albert Museum, London, UK; ‘Hirsch Library’, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, US.  Permanent collection of NHS, UK.
Wellcome Collection ‘Reframing Sex Work’, [online illustrations for Digital Stories, May 2020] and ‘The Hidden Side of Violence’ [online illustrations for Digital Stories, Autumn 2022]. Selected prints from Conversations with my motherBristol Museum and Art Gallery, Bristol, UK

Performance talks

  • 2017 – The Freud Museum conference on ‘Mourning and Melancholia’: Conversations with my mother as a monologue
  • 2016 – Redeye, Hothouse, Conversations with my mother 

Awards

  • 2021 – Arts Council England: DYCP Award
  • 2020 – Arts Council England: Emergency Response Grant
  • 2020 – a-n The Artist Information Company: Artist Bursary (for Fencing Manual for Women project)
  • 2019 – QEST scholarship for Certificate Historical Hand Embroidery, Royal School of Needlework 
  • 2017 – GRAIN Portfolio Award, FORMAT Festival (for Fencing Manual for Women project) – winner
  • 2016 – Short-listed for 2017 cycle of Jerwood Open Makers Award 
  • 2016 – a-n The Artist Information Company: Travel Bursary
  • 2014 – PX3 ‘Blue’ – honourable mention
  • 2013 – Genesis Imaging Award, Format Festival – winner
  • 2008 – Magenta Flash Forward – honourable mention
  • 2004 – Arts Council of Wales grant: An Important View

Solo exhibitions

  • 2021 – Bristol Museum and Art Gallery “Beyond the frame” – intervention in main collection as part of Bristol Photography Festival: A sense of place
  • 2019 – Print Sales Gallery, The Photographers’ Gallery, London: Constellations and Coordinates
  • 2017 – Birmingham City University (School of Jewellery), Armour Studies (regarding skin) 
  • 2005 – Oriel Queens Hall Gallery, Pembrokeshire,  An Important View 

Selected group exhibitions

  • Coming soon – Academician candidate show, RWA, Bristol
  • 2023 – Re-Naissance [online], UNIT, London
  • 2023 – Serchia M(Other), Bristol
  • 2023 – RWA Photography Open, Bristol
  • 2021 – Print Sales / The Photographers’ Gallery [online] The Trapeze Artist, London
  • 2019 – Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool: 209 Women; 2018 – Portcullis House, London: 209 Women
  • 2018 – Mall Galleries, London: Invited Artist, ING Discerning Eye;
  • 2018 Anzenberger Gallery,Vienna: Handmade IV
  • 2018 – Print Sales Gallery,The PhotographersGallery, London: Work in Process
  • 2017.  Yale Center for British Art, New Haven: A Decade of Gifts and Acquisitions
  • 2017 – The Barge House, London: FIX Photo Festival
  • 2017 – RWA, Bristol: 164th Open;
  • 2016 – Salisbury Arts Centre, Salisbury, Threads
  • 2016 – Anzenberger Gallery,Vienna, Handmade III
  • 2016 – Waterperry Gardens, Oxford, Art in Action;
  • 2016 – Gazebook, Sicily
  • 2016 – Photobook Bristol First Books / Dummy exhibition;
  • 2014 – The Mall Galleries, London: ING Discerning Eye;
  • 2013 – RWA, Bristol: 161st Open

Residencies

Future – 2023: DOMUS, Galatina, Italy

Art Fairs | Other

  • 2022 – Magnum Square Print Sale
  • 2022 – Collect, London (QEST)
  • 2021 – Photo London (The Photographers’ Gallery)
  • 2019 – Photo London (The Photographers’ Gallery)
  • 2018 – UNSEEN Amsterdam (The Photographers’ Gallery) and Photo London (The Photographers’ Gallery)
  • 2018 – Photo London (The Photographers’ Gallery)
  • 2017 – Parallel Vienna (Anzenberger Gallery)

Press | publications

  • 2022 – Darklight Art – Radical Softness -Interview with Mimi Gray
  • 2021 – Photomonitor – Making things to make people feel things – Interview with Shyama Laxman
  • 2021 – British Journal of Photography – Beyond the Frame review, Isaac Huxtable
  • 2021 – Photomomitor – Beyond the Frame review, Shyama Laxman
  • 2021 – Elephant:  Why Is It So Hard to Talk About Fertility? Hettie Judah
  • 2020 – Tate Papers, Severance: Jessa Fairbrothers Conversations with My Mother, Jennifer Mundy 
  • 2020 – Mam: Maternal Art Magazine: Stay at Home
  • 2018 – Photomonitor: Conversations with my mother + essay:  Working with emotions in photography
  • 2017 – The Eye of Photography: ‘FORMAT Festival: discoveries from the portfolio reviews’, Holly Roussell
  • 2016 – Photoworks, ‘Showcase’: Conversations with my mother
  • 2016 – LensCulture, ‘Spotlight’: Conversations with my mother
  • 2016 – Spot magazine, Fall issue, Caroline Docwra: Conversations with my mother
  • 2012 – Interwoven, Pippa Oldfield: I Did
  • 2012 -‘Communication between FineArtists,Academics and Gender:A new practice?’Bulletine, Norway2010 – Eyemazing Magazine, winter issue: Subtitled

Symposiums

  • 2021 – Bristol Museum and Art Gallery, Whose Gaze?
  • 2018 – UWE, Bristol, The body as canvas 
  • 2017 – Birkbeck, University of London, The Pregnant Archive
  • 2016 Birmingham City University “Talking Practice”
  • 2016 – Salon, 10x10Photobooks, New York: Conversations with my mother
  • 2016 – Photobook Bristol: In conversation with Mariela Sancari
  • 2016 – Flockomania, Birmingham City University: Beyond Jewellery: Performing the Body
  • 2012 – Cornerhouse: Lost is found (from 4 min 40) http://homemcr.org/media/lost-is-found-hear-from-the-artists/ 

Visiting Lecturer Artist Talks | Workshops | Mentoring 

  • Rising Arts Agency, Bristol: mentoring emerging photographer.  
  • Talks/workshops at – Bath Spa University; Manchester Metropolitan University; Camarthen College of Art; Sheffield Hallam University; Birmingham City University; University West of England, Bristol; Rising Arts Agency, Bristol; Falmouth University; Gloucester University.

Selected Workshops |Talks |

  • 2023 – Watershed, Bristol – Panel Discussion after All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, with Dr. Marianne Mulvey and Professor Mandy Rose
  • 2021 – The Photographers’ Gallery – Head, Heart, Hands – in conversation with artist Alexandra Davenport.
  • 2021 – Bristol Museum and Art Gallery
  • 2020 – IG Live for Work Show Grow
  • 2020 – Redeye, Manchester – guest speaker – Snapshot.
  • 2020 – London Art Fair for The Photographers’ Gallery panel discussion -‘Women Photographers’.
  • 2019 – The Photographers’ Gallery, London – Photography and Health (guest speaker at The Social) 
  • 2018 – The Photographers’ Gallery, London – Sensing the image (guest speaker) 2016 – The Photographers’ Gallery, London – Tactile Photos
  • 2016 – Miniclick @ The Photographers’ Gallery, London 
Documenting work at the Martin Parr Foundation, Bristol. January 2022 © Tom Groves
Beyond the Frame, ‘In Conversation, and In Character’  by Jessa Fairbrother at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery © Louis Little
Beyond the Frame, ‘In Conversation, and In Character’  by Jessa Fairbrother at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery © Louis Little
Work in Process – The Photographers’ Gallery, London, 2018
‘Roleplay, woman with cusion’ , FIX, The Barge House, London © Celine Marchbank
‘Roleplay, Woman with cushion’, Bristol, 2017
S1 Members show, Sheffield 2011