Helen Carnac

1995 – Present: Professional Artist, curator, and writer. During this period my studio has operated continuously alongside and in combination with various academic and teaching posts.

Selected Exhibitions

2023  RWA 170th Open, Bristol, UK

2023 Affinities: Helen Carnac and David Gates, Make Hauser and Wirth, Somerset, UK

2023 Holding  Space: Contemporary Enamel Vessels, Springfield Museum, Missouri, USA

2023 Cut and Fold, Make Hauser and Wirth, Somerset, UK

2023 Sensing Place, Helen Carnac, David Gates and Andrew MacKenzie, Sarah Myerscough Gallery, London, UK

2022 Like Paper, Solo exhibition, Galerie Noel Guyomarc’h, Montreal, Canada

2022 Within.Without: A Presentation by Make Hauser & Wirth in Zurich

2022 Of Making and Material, Make Hauser and Wirth, Southampton, USA

2022 Impertinente, Musée des Beaux-Arts de Limoges, France

2020 Fog Fair, San Francisco, Sarah Myerscough Gallery

2019 In Dialogue, Hauser and Wirth, Somerset, UK

2019 Sightlines, Helen Carnac, David Gates, Matthew Harris, Museum in the Park, Stroud

2018 PAD, London, Sarah Myerscough Gallery

2018 Masterpiece, London, Sarah Myerscough Gallery

2018 m2(at)15 – ATP Gallery, London

2018 With Other Eyes: Ruthin Craft Centre

2018 Blaze - International Contemporary Enamel Art Exhibition, Taiwan

2018 Collect, London, Sarah Myerscough Gallery

2017 UK Pavilion at the 10th Cheongju Craft Biennale, Crafts Council and British Council

2017 Design Miami, Miami, Sarah Myerscough Gallery

2017 Design Miami, Basel, Sarah Myerscough Gallery

2017 PAD, London, Sarah Myerscough Gallery

2017 Salon New York, Sarah Myerscough Gallery

2017 Collect, London: special exhibit, with Sarah Myerscough Gallery

2017 Meister der Moderne, Munich, Germany

2016 Edge and Shore: Whitechapel Gallery, London

2015 Edge and Shore: Arnolfini, Bristol

2015 Edge and Shore: Dovecot, Edinburgh

2015 SOFA: Chicago

2014 Writing and Object: Galerie Handwerk, Munich

2014 Galerie Noel Guyomarc’h: Montréal (Québec)

2014 Back From the Front, WW1 Centenary Commemoration: Royal West of England Academy, Curated by Paul Gough and Elizabeth Turrell: Catalogued

 2013 Setting the Scene, New Landscapes: Farnham, UK. Catalogued ISBN978 0 9570212 4 2

 2013 This How We Are: Kunstverein, Munich and touring

 2011 The Tool at Hand, Milwaukee Art Museum: Catalogued and touring http://mam.org/exhibitions/details/the-tool-at-hand.php http://toolathand.org/#intro

 2011 91ft 5” Installation: Institute of Making, Kings College, London

 2011 - 12 Drawing, Permanence, Place: Kunstverein, Coburg, and touring Catalogued ISBN 978-0-9560266-3-7

 2010, 2011 SOFA: New York

 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 Collect: Saatchi Gallery, London, Catalogued

 2010 Under The Counter: Smiths Row Gallery

 2009 In Transit: 84GHz, Munich

 2008   In Response To: 84GHz, Munich

 2008 Elizabeth Turrell and Helen Carnac: University of East Carolina

 2007 Process Works: University of Hertfordshire Galleries and touring. Catalogued ISBN 978-0-9554379-1-5

 2007 Badges: Museum der Arbeit, Hamburg and touring USA. Catalogued ISBN 978-1-906501-00-6

 2007 Anti War Medals: Gallery I/O, Thomas Mann, New Orleans.

 2004 Anti War Medals: Curated by Velvet Da Vinci, Touring: Electrum, London Norway and USA

                        2003 David Gates and Helen Carnac: Flow, London

 2002 Diaspora Cymreig: Ruthin Gallery: touring and catalogue ISBN 1 900941 50 3

 2001/2002 Home Sweet Home: group show, curated by Lesley Jackson for the British Council catalogued and touring

 2000 Contemporary British Silver: A Crafts Council Touring Exhibition catalogued

2000 Contemporary British Silver: Gallery Marzee, Netherlands

 1999 Heim und Handwerk: Munich

 1996 Living at Belsay: Belsay Hall, Northumberland. Catalogued 

Choreography and Installation

2023 Like a Moth to Light, Piet Oudolf Garden, Hauser and Wirth, Somerset, UK

 2016 Carnac, H and Diallo, L, Edge and Shore: Acts of doing. Whitechapel Gallery, London

 2015 Carnac, H and Diallo, L, Edge and Shore: Acts of Doing, Arnolfini, Bristol and Dovecot, Edinburgh. Commissioned by Siobhan Davies Dance and funded by Arts Council England

http://www.siobhandavies.com/whats-on/performance/edge-and-shore-acts-arnolfini/

http://www.siobhandavies.com/whats-on/performance/edge-and-shore-acts-doing/

 2014 Carnac, H and Diallo, L, Edge and Shore, funded by Arts Council England

Presented at: Quay 2C, London; The Control Room, Bristol: Siobhan Davies Studios, London and The Brunel Goods Shed, Stroud

http://www.siobhandavies.com/whats-on/performance/edge-and-shore-control-room/

http://www.siobhandavies.com/whats-on/performance/edge-and-shore-siobhan-davies-studios/

http://www.siobhandavies.com/whats-on/performance/edge-and-shore-goods-shed/

http://www.siobhandavies.com/whats-on/performance/edge-and-shore-goods-shed/

Residencies

 2019 Maker in Residence, Institute of Making, UCL, London

2019 Artist in Residence, UCL Culture, London

2012 Side by Side:  six-week residency with dancer/choreographer Laila Diallo. Commissioned by Siobhan Davies Dance and Arts Council England

http://www.siobhandavies.com/sidebyside/

Fellowship

2009 - 2011 Cultural Leadership Programme (CLP): Awarded Funded Artist leadership Fellow - developing artist leadership and advocacy in the Art and Crafts Sector. The project included developing thought about how the Crafts can be further communicated.

Public Commissions

2005 Collaborative commission with David Gates: Permanent installation of Furniture with enamel for Bilston Craft Gallery: Wolverhampton City Art Galleries

2007 Lead Artist, Artquest, London: Forum project: lead debate

Awards

2020 A-n Bursary

2019 Shortlisted for Co-Lab Women Make Sculpture Award

2011 Runner up Wesley Barrell award

2009/10 Cultural Leadership Partners: Artist Leadership Development Fellowship

2008 Innovation in enamelling, UK Third prize Juried exhibition, Metal Inclinations, USA

1996 Winner Carroll Foundation Award

1996 Selected Index, UK Crafts Council

1996 Membership, Contemporary Applied Arts

1995 Runner-­‐up Carroll Foundation Award

1995 Setting Up Grant, UK Crafts Council

 Previous employment and appointments

2019 - 2020 Tech Team. Institute of Making, Dept of Engineering, UCL, London. (Maternity Post)

2016 – 2019 Programme Leader MA Jewellery Futures, Middlesex University

2018 Tutor MFA, Alchimia Jewellery School, Florence

2014 -16 Programme Leader for BA Design Crafts, Middlesex University

2011 – 2015 Joint Programme Leader for BA Jewellery and Accessories, Middlesex University

March - July 2011 Guest Professor, Kunsthochschule Berlin Weissensee. Running the Design studio for a semester-long project based in Berlin. ‘Stitching together ideas in time, a four month walking and design project’. Funded by the EU commission and Greenlab Laboratory in Sustainable Design. Book Edition produced.

2009 - 2011 Cultural Leadership Programme (CLP): Awarded Funded Artist leadership Fellow - developing artist leadership and advocacy in the Art and Crafts Sector. The project included developing thought about how the Crafts can be further communicated.

2006 – 2009 London Metropolitan University. Sir John Cass Department of Art, Media and Design 0.5 FTE Senior Lecturer and Personal Academic Adviser, BA and MA Silversmithing and Jewellery, Product Design and Furniture.

2003 – 2011 Enamel Research Centre, University of West of England, Bristol. Visiting Fellow

2002- 2009 London Metropolitan University. Sir John Cass Department of Art, Media and Design 0.5/0.8 HEIF Research and Employability Manager/Animateur.

2002 – 2009 London Metropolitan University. Sir John Cass Department of Art, Media and Design, Senior Lecturer, BA and MA Silversmithing and Jewellery, Product Design and Furniture.

2001- July 2002 Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication Lead Tutor Foundation: 3D Design

Associate Lecturer/ Visiting Lecturer/ Artist

2020 Artist in Residence, St Pauls Girls School, London

2018 Maine College of Art, USA visiting artist, lecturer

2017 Applied Arts Ulster, visiting artist, lecturer

2016 University Of Hertfordshire, visiting artist, lecturer

2015 RCA, London, Visiting Artist, Information, Experience, Design Department

 2014 National Academy of the Arts (KHIO) Oslo, visiting artist and lecturer

2013 Haystack School of Arts and Crafts, USA, visiting Artist and lecturer

2011 California College of the Arts, San Francisco, USA, MFA Fine Arts Visiting Lecturer

2011 Sint Lucas University College of Art and Design, Antwerp, Belgium. BFA/MFA Jewellery: Visiting artist ‘Marking Place’

2011 - 14 Middlesex University, Department of Art and Design, Visiting lecturer. BA Jewellery and Accessories

2010 - 2013 Camberwell College of Art, University of the Arts London, MA Designer Maker: Visiting lecturer

2010 Strelka Post Graduate School for Architecture and Design, Moscow Russia: Visiting lecturer and Artist

2010 Penland School of Arts, North Carolina, USA: Visiting lecturer and Artist

2010 Edinburgh College of Arts, UK. BA/MA Jewellery: Visiting lecturer and Artist

2010 Pratt Fine Arts, Seattle, USA. Visiting lecturer and Artist

2008 University of East Carolina, North Carolina, USA. MFA Metal Programme: Visiting lecturer and Artist

2007 Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, USA: Metal Department: BFA/MFA students: Visiting lecturer and Artist

2007 University of East Carolina, North Carolina, USA: MFA Metal Programme: Visiting Lecturer and Artist

2007 Millersville University, Pennsylvania, USA. BFA Metal Programme: Visiting lecturer and Artist

1999 - 2006 London Guildhall University. Visiting lecturer: BA Silversmithing, Jewellery and Allied Crafts

1999 - 2001 Tower Hamlets Summer University, working with a range of school children - developing and delivering projects

1999 - 2001 MODA, London, delivering workshops for children

1999 - 2001 V&A Museum - working with education department to deliver workshops and demonstrations in the museum

1996 - 1998 Guernsey State Education, Artist in Residence, working across a range of schools and organisations

Mentoring, Peer Mentoring and Coaching

2015 Emerging artist mentor at SNAG, Boston, USA

2012 Trade Secrets, Film for Artquest

https://www.artquest.org.uk/how-to-articles/trade-secrets-episode-2/

2011 “What is Coaching?” Co-Coaching Session led with Rachel Gilmore for Craftnet with 40 participants, Birmingham

2010 Mentor for Contemporary Fellowship scheme, UK

2005 Lead Artist for Forum: peer-mentoring project, commissioned by Artquest

External Examining

2022 Birmingham City University, MA Jewellery and Related Products

2019/20 External for PhD examination: RCA, London

2018 External for PhD examination: Bath Spa University

2014 - 2019 Product Design Department, ARTEZ, Arnhem, Holland: Member Subject Development Committee

2014 - 2017 BA Critical Art Practice Sheffield Hallam University: External Examiner

2013 -14 Design Department, University of Brighton, Chief External Examiner

2010 - 2014 BA Design and Craft, University of Brighton: External Examiner

2009 BA Jewellery and Accessories: Middlesex University, Member Validation Panel

2007 - 2012 BA Contemporary Crafts, University College Falmouth: External Examiner

2005 - 2010 BA Crafts, Staffordshire University, Department of Art, Media & Design: External Examiner

Professional Body Committees or roles

2010 - Present, Member of Artquest Advisory Committee

2011 - 2013 Membership Committee, Art Jewelry Forum, USA

Membership of Professional Bodies

2011 Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts

2011 Member of Art Jewelry Forum, USA

1995 Contemporary Applied Arts

Professional Qualifications

2010 Accredited professional coach in relational dynamics, Clore and Cultural Leadership Programme.

1994 BA (Hons) 2:1 Silversmithing, Jewellery and Allied Craft, London Guildhall University

1993 Fachhochschule fur Gestaltung, Schwabisch Gmund, Germany

1990 B.T.E.C HND Design Crafts, Plymouth College of Art & Design

1988 Art Foundation, Newport Art College

Funded Research and Knowledge exchange projects

2010 Chair: Craft Rally, London and Sheffield for Artquest, Commissioned by UK Crafts Council

2010 Chair: Stroud Textile Festival Conference on Slow Textiles

2009 Chair for strand: ‘Making Futures’ conference on Sustainability, PCAD UK

2009 Convenor: Slow panel discussion, Southbank Centre debate as part of curatorial development of Taking Time; Craft and the Slow Revolution, Royal Festival Hall, London for Slow Down London

2007 Chair: Carry the Can seminar, The Women’s Library, London

2006 Chair: Carry the Can, The Brewery, London

2006 Chair: Process Works Seminar, The Language of Making, The Women’s Library, London

2006 Association for Contemporary Jewellery Conference, Director and Co-chair of steering committee Victoria and Albert Museum: Seminar to introduce ‘Carry the Can’

2005 Chair: Jerwood Debates, London Metropolitan University, A series of debates focussing on the future of metal in association to Jerwood Prize for Metal

2005 Convenor: Dialogue, A walk and talk about collections. Starting point Collect at the V&A, London

2003 ‘Creating a Happy Living’, Professional development seminars for students

2003 Convenor: HEIM (Honour, Ethics, Integrity and Morality), London, Forum fur Schmuck exhibition, Bei Meine Ehre

Esteem

2015 Invited Keynote speaker: Society of North American Goldsmiths, Boston, USA. Talk: ‘Slipping Things Sideways, Finding New Crossing Points'

 2010 Invited participant: American Crafts Council USA Why Craft Now? Penland School of Crafts, USA

 2009 Haystack, Maine, USA, invited participant O Brave New World:  Looking at Time, Making, and Creativity

 2009 Contributed to SLOWLAB development, London, ICA

 2008/9 Peer reviewer for ‘Constructing the Applied Arts: Past Visions - Future Possibilities’ Plymouth College of Art and Design http://makingfutures.plymouthart.ac.uk/journalvol1/papers.php

 2002 Academic convener and Director of the ‘Carry the Can’ project and conference, an ongoing project that provides a forum for the discussion of ethical issues that concern contemporary making and material practices in the UK and internationally.

External Academic Role

2007 -2009 Academic Assessor for AHRC

Edited books

Editor Helen Carnac, 2011, A Shared View, Stitching Together Ideas in Time. Greenlab, Laboratory for Sustainable Design Strategies, Berlin, Germany. 192 pages. ISBN 978-3- 9814373-2-4

Editor Helen Carnac, 2009, Taking Time: Craft and the Slow Revolution. Craftspace, Birmingham, 48 pages UK ISBN-10: 0952683296

Editors Helen Carnac and Ruth Rushby, 2007, Process Works. Site Publications, London. ISBN 13 978—0-9554379-1-5

Articles and chapters in edited books

Carnac, H and Sandino, L, 2017 ‘’Where’s the message? It’s hopeless, just hopeless.” Critique and performance of craft on TV. Namita Gupta Wiggers, (Ed) New Anthology of Craft, to be published 2020

Carnac, H, 2014, Is There Ever a First Time Visit and How Will We Remember it in The Future?, Unravelling Uppark, Ed: Polly Harknett, Caitlin Heffernan, Matt Smith, Unravelled Arts and National Trust, UK. p58 - 63 ISBN: - 978-0-9572476-2-8

Carnac, H, 2013, Moving Things Around...Collaboration and Dynamic Change. In Collaboration Through Craft, Ed: Amanda Ravetz, Alice Kettle & Helen Felcey. Bloomsbury. London. p31 - 41 ISBN: HB: 978-0-8578-5391-2, PB: 978-0-8578-5392-9

Carnac, H, 2013, Thinking Process: On Contemporary Jewelry and the Relational Turn. In Contemporary Jewelry in Perspective, Editor Damian Skinner, Lark Books, USA. p234 - 239. ISBN HB 978-1-4547-0277-1

Commissioned Articles

2018 Room To Move, To be published by Artquest for their Studio Series

 2018 Review of Craftwork as Problem Solving, Marchand, T (Ed): to be Published in Journal of Modern Craft, Autumn 2018

2010 ‘Into the Unknown’ A reflection on fellowship in Cultural Leadership in the Arts, published by Cultural Leadership Programme, 2011

2010 ‘Making Time’ ‘Studio; Craft and Design in Canada’, Crafts Council of Canada. Fall/Winter 2010, pp38-42

 2010 ‘House of Words’ Journal of Modern Craft: Exhibition Review Volume 3, Number 2, July 2010, pp. 253-256(4)

 2010 ‘Stitching it Together in Time’ Essay Contribution to Upcycling Textiles: Adding Value through Design

 2009 ‘Handmade is Favourite’ Paratus Communication: Consultancy and written report on Handmade to support International press campaign for Costa Coffee.

 Selected commissioned talks

 2019 Slade School of Art, London

2019 National Academy of the Arts (KHIO) Oslo, Norway

2018 Maine College of Art, USA

2018 UCA, Farnham, UK

2017 Artez, Arnhem, Netherlands

2017 Applied Arts, Ulster

2016 University of Hertfordshire

2015 RCA, London. Information, Experience, Design Department

 2015 Arnolfini Gallery, Edge and Shore discussion, chaired by Professor Iain Biggs

 2015 Society of North American Goldsmith Conference: Keynote speaker for Innovation Strand, Boston, USA

 2015 From the Coolest Corner: Re: Public Jewellery. Commissioned by Norwegian Crafts, Munich, Germany

 2015 Dovecot Gallery, Edinburgh, Edge and Shore discussion, chaired by Roanne Dods

 2014 Whitechapel Gallery ‘Crafting Practices’, commissioned by Artquest for Whitechapel.

 2014 National Academy of the Arts (KHIO) Oslo, Norway

2014 Art Jewelry Forum, USA, ‘Jewellery and the Relational Turn’, Central St Martins College

 2014 University of Hertfordshire: MA Critical Practice Seminar

2013 Norwegian Crafts Council, Craft and Social Change, Toynbee Hall, London

 2013 Chelsea College of Art, MA Critical Practice Seminar

 2013 Gallery of Modern Art, Glasgow

 2012 Design Council Wales: 10 things I learnt: Slow Design

 2012 University of Hertfordshire

 2012 Manchester Metropolitan University

 2012 Institute of Education, Glasgow

 2011 Jerwood Foundation in Conversation with Choreographer Siobhan Davies

 2011 Cubitt Arts, London with Tim Ingold

 2011 Museum of Science and Technology, Seattle, USA

 2011 Haus der Kulteren der Welt, Greenlab II Berlin

 2011 St Lucas University College, Antwerp Marking Place: collecting, curating, sifting ideas.

 2011 California College of the Arts, San Francisco

 2011 Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts

 2010 Strelka, Moscow: The Diversity of One Design Practice

 2010: Middlesex University, Camberwell College, Edinburgh College

 2010 Crafts Council UK, Craft Rally, Sheffield, UK

 2010 Crafts Council, Saatchi Gallery, London

 2010 Metropolitan Works, London

 2009 Central St Martins/Camberwell College HYP 3 Research Group, London

 Works Held in Public Collections

Museum of Art and Design New York

Rotasa Foundation, California, USA

 Racine Art Museum, Wisconsin, USA

 Bilston Gallery, UK

 Public Commissions

 2015 - 16 Edge and Shore exhibition phase, collaborative commission, funded by Siobhan Davies Dance

2014 Edge and Shore research phase, collaborative commission, funded by Arts Council England

2012 Side by Side, collaborative commission with Laila Diallo, funded by Siobhan Davies Dance and Arts Council England

2005 Collaborative commission with David Gates: Permanent installation of Furniture with enamel for Bilston Craft Gallery: Wolverhampton City Art Galleries

2005 Lead Artist, Artquest, London: Forum project: lead debate

Works Published In

 Making and Drawing, Cane, K (Ed) 2012, ISBN  978-1408134511

 The Compendium Finale of Contemporary Jewellers, LIM, A. Darling Publications, Germany ISBN: 978-3-939130-95-6

500 Enameled Objects, Lark Books, 2009

Enamel Experience UWE, 2007, ISBN  978-1-906501-00-6

Process Works 5 Jewellers, Jan 2007, Site Projects, ISBN 13 978—0-9554379-1-5

Diaspora Cymreig: Makers of welsh origin working outside of Wales, 2002 ISBN-10: 1900941503 ISBN-13: 978-1900941501

Form: Wales Art International by Ceri Jones (Editor) ISBN-10: 0954513029 ISBN-13:

978-0954513023 2003

Curation

 Carnac, H, 2013 MA stars, commissioned by AXIS Arts

 Carnac, H, Making, Unmaking, Repair and Repetition, 2012, AXIS Arts,

http://artshift.files.wordpress.com/2013/02/making-and-unmaking-helen-carnac.pdf

 Carnac, H/ Intellegent Trouble, 2010, Under the Counter: Jewellery in Conversation,

Commissioned by Smiths Row Gallery http://www.smithsrow.org/index.php/exhibitions/archive_details/suffolk_showcase_2010_2/

 Carnac, H, 2009, Taking Time Craft and the Slow Revolution, Craftspace, Birmingham City Art

Gallery and touring, catalogued, ISBN 978-0-9526832-9-2

 Carnac, H and Rushby, R, 2007, Process Works, University of Hertfordshire galleries and touring,

catalogued, 13 978—0-9554379-1-5

Recent peer review and critical writing

 2017 Crafts Magazine Article Cabinets and Curiosity written by Emma Crichton-Miller

https://helencarnac.files.wordpress.com/2017/11/crafts-268-pp68-73.pdf

 2015 Reflection on Edge and Shore: Acts of Doing at Arnolfini Gallery Bristol, Professor Iain Biggs

https://helencarnac.wordpress.com/2015/07/27/words-from-iain-biggs-on-edge-and-shore-acts-of-doing/

 2015 Review of Edge and Shore: Acts of Doing at Dovecot Studios, Mary Brennan, Herald, Scotland http://www.heraldscotland.com/arts_ents/13200762.Review__Edge_and_Shore___Acts_of_Doing_/

 2015 Norwegian Crafts, article by Reinhold Ziegler

http://www.norwegiancrafts.no/articles/moving-things-around

 2015 Metalsmith, the Society of North American Goldsmiths Periodical: Helen Carnac, six page review of the Artist by Marjorie Simon

https://helencarnac.files.wordpress.com/2015/02/carnac_article_metalsmith_35-1.pdf

 2010 ArtPulse Fall 2010 USA

http://makingaslowrevolution.wordpress.com/2010/11/28/article-in-artpulse-this-month/

 2010 The Journal of Modern Craft, vol 3 no.3 Nov. pp 373-5. Exhibition review, Taking Time; Craft and the Slow Revolution, Martina Margetts

 2010 Perspectives, Sept. 2010, pp 60-62 ‘Playing With Time’

http://makingaslowrevolution.wordpress.com/2010/09/21/excellent-article-from-eleanor-flegg/

 2010 Crafts Magazine, review of Taking Time, Curated by Helen Carnac

 2010 FibreArts Volume 37 No 2 Review Taking Time by Jessica Hemmings