Statement and Biography
Tina Culverhouse (b. 1969, South London, England) is an artist based in London and France. Her site specific, performative sculptures are made with ephemeral materials that deteriorate and whose shape shifts over time. Through the performative making and remaking a sense of temporality and memory is imbued allowing the material object to take on a sense of being and place. During 2022, Culverhouse had a traumatic life event that led to a transformative shift in her practice. Having travelled five and a half thousand miles to visit her brother who had been taken ill, he passed away within minutes of her arrival. The shock she felt repositioned her material processes towards encompassing a feeling of grounding and balance, building intricate structures based on her own measurements, and those of her siblings, which are purpose built within the gallery and deteriorate over their shown life span. The emotional, performative and personal nature of the work is built in parallel to textual works which Tina often performs spoken word alongside the installed sculptures.
Career Highlights
Awards
Digswell Arts Trust Fellowship Award 2024-2030
Solo shows
The Stone Space, Leytonstone, London December 2024 to January 2025
Masters Interim Show, Upper Case Gallery, UH Creative School, July 2021
Selected Group Shows
APT Gallery, October 2024; Tremenheere Sculpture Park, August 2024; One Paved Court Gallery, November 2023; Thames-side Studios & Gallery, July 2024, July 2023, April 2023; Frieze Fringe, Koppel-X, October 2022; Thames-side Studios and Gallery, July 2022, April 2022; Masters Fine Art Show, Arts + Design Gallery, UH Creative School, September 2021
Selected Residencies
Mass Sculpture Studio in 2023 and 2022, Thames-side Studios, London
Project 15 Guest Artist, September 2019, Letchworth Garden City
Public Art Commissions
Stevenage Museum Underpass Posters for Gordon Craig Theatre 2020, ACE funded
Stevenage Museum “Suffrage Stories” Knebworth House, Hertfordshire, 2019, ACE funded
Personal Highlights
Returning to a fine art practice and getting a studio 2019
Having two wonderful sons who both were born with disabilities, have now grown up and studied themselves at University, 2000-2018
Education Highlights
Turps Mass Sculpture School, London, Studio based, September 2021 to July 2024
City & Guilds, London, Glass Working Summer School, 2024
Traditional Bronze Workshop with Kabir Hussain, 2023 & 2024
Professional Metal Working Courses at London Sculpture Workshop 2021 to 2024
Pewter Casting with Robert Worley at Morley College, London, 2022
Master of Fine Arts (Distinction) from UH Creative School September 2021
Metal Smithing & Jewellery Year, 1994-5 City Lit, Fleet Street, London
Bachelor of Arts, (Hons) in Fine Art and Art History (Highly Commended) awarded by Middlesex Polytechnic in 1991
Links to organisations I am involved with;
More about Digswell Arts Trust https://digswellarts.org
More about Mass Turps Education https://www.masseducation.co.uk
Tina Culverhouse 