CV – Jessa Fairbrother

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 mother – Bristol 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 Photographers’ Gallery, 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 Fairbrother’s 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