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Sarah Kudirka

Sarah  Kudirka
  • Work
  • Biography
Sarah Kudirka is a contemporary artist of over 30 years practice. She paints full-time in a WASPS studio at The Briggait Glasgow.

"work that is beautiful, layered and thoughtful" - Jan Patience

Kudirka's art focuses on the shapes and edges of things – stuff such as buildings, furniture and belongings; lately shell-like and bowl:boat forms. She makes iteratively glazed, incised, scratched, scraped and layered semi-abstract images, in oil paint and pencil over linen and instant film.

Recent work drawing on compassion and belonging whispers of age-old human journeys across oceans. Her City Skies Polaroids series was inspired by walking through cities looking up at the sky between tall buildings. An archaeological site in East Africa convinced her as a child that we're outlived by things, and belongings - the stuff that we use, inherit or pass on - link us to culture and place.

High-level experience in creative consultancy, notably with Arup engineers, architects, clients and designers on public realm and building projects. Her input is valued at concept/bid stage for bringing an artist’s way of thinking to design teams. For Arup Sarah also founded 'The Penguin Pool' a social events series for sparking interdisciplinary connections, successfully launching it in 15 cities worldwide.

Was a Charity Trustee/Board Member of Acme Studios for seven years in London, then served three years on the elected SSA Council. An active SCAN member too.

Previously Sarah Davenport, the artist's name Kudirka was brought to these shores by her husband's Lithuanian grandparents in 1919.

Sarah is partially-deaf.
BA (Hons) Fine Art 1990 The University of Leeds
MA Sculpture Studies 1991 The University of Leeds

Awards:
Purchase Prize - Young Artists South East
Major Award - The British Council
The Passey Prize in Art - University of Leeds
Light in Art - The Prudential

Solo Shows:
2023 a bowl : a boat - The Briggait, Glasgow
2017 When did you last look up? – StockWool, London Festival of Architecture
2015 Paint + Polaroids – Canary Wharf, London
2005 Belongings – Toni Heath Gallery, London
2001 Fit and Proper – London Stock Exchange
2000 As Seen on TV – bbb contemporary art, London
1998 Vocabulary – Oliver J Benjamin, London
1995 Methodiz’d – Casson Gallery, Eastbourne
1993 Chairs & Stripes – Newlyn Gallery, Leeds
1992 Country Seat – Lotherton Hall, Aberford

Selected Group Shows:
2023 WASPS x Kirkcudbright Galleries
2022 Finding the Wonder - Tatha Gallery, Newport on Tay
2022 Edinburgh MacMillan Art Show - The Tattoo Office/online
2021 STOP.START Sarah Kudirka + Rowena Comrie - South Block, Glasgow
2021 INSTANT, Society of Scottish Artists, co-Curator
2019 Little Originals - Dockstreet Gallery, Dundee
2019 ArtCarBootSale - Patricia Fleming Gallery/SWG3, Glasgow
2019 Glasgow Contemporary Art Fair - Kelvingrove, Glasgow
2018 Into The City - Chapel Gallery, Ormskirk
2015, '16 & '17 The Other Art Fair - London
2003 Pop Culture - Beatrice Royal Art Gallery, Southampton
2002 Size Matters - Stephen Lacey Gallery, London
2001 ARTFutures - Contemporary Art Society, London

Residencies/Trusteeships/Publications:
2021 Paper published in Studies in Photography journal
2020 Speaker at National Trust for Scotland's Second Morton Symposium on Women’s Photography, convened by Glasgow Women's Library
2018-21 Elected
Across Oceans (a big blue) - private collection
  • Sarah Kudirka
  • Across Oceans (a big blue) - private collection
  • Oil
Flag for the dunes (a bowl, a boat)
  • Sarah Kudirka
  • Flag for the dunes (a bowl, a boat)
  • Oil
Colours & Sounds (oil on instax)
  • Sarah Kudirka
  • Colours & Sounds (oil on instax)
  • Mixed Media
Fields, Happily So, Outwith
  • Sarah Kudirka
  • Fields, Happily So, Outwith
  • Oil
Block (Post-Colonial)
  • Sarah Kudirka
  • Block (Post-Colonial)
  • Oil
Machine (Post-Colonial)
  • Sarah Kudirka
  • Machine (Post-Colonial)
  • Oil
Purple Orange Red diptych - private collection
  • Sarah Kudirka
  • Purple Orange Red diptych - private collection
  • Digital print
Around - painted metal table
  • Sarah Kudirka
  • Around - painted metal table
  • Mixed Media

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