Bio
I had a traditional training in painting at the Royal Academy Schools which gave me thorough grounding in materials and practices which I employ in my artwork. Painting for me is a way of thinking about my place in the world. I have a passion for what can be learnt from making artworks and have taught in universities and written academic texts on the subject. I became a visiting Professor in Fine Art at Wrexham University in 2024 and now paint full time. My work explores personal memories through the traditional genres of landscape, figure and still life painting.
Education
2002-2008
PhD University of Wales
Title of thesis: Psychological Resonance and its Relationship to Site in the work of Five Contemporary Painters.
1991-1994
Postgraduate Diploma in Painting, Royal Academy Schools, London, 1st class thesis.
1986-1989
BA (Hons) Fine Art, Nottingham Trent University, 2:1.
Publications
Books
2023 ‘Creativity in Art, Design and Technology’, Springer Series on Cultural Computing, Springer, Authors: Susan Liggett, Rae Earnshaw, Jill Townsley.
2020 ‘Technology, Design and the Arts – Challenges and Opportunities. Editors: Rae Earnshaw, Susan Liggett, Peter Excell, Daniel Thalmann, Springer Publishers.
Book Chapters
2020 ‘Positioning the Arts in the Research Process: Perspectives from Higher Education’ in ‘Technology, Design, and the Arts.’ This Chapter is a contribution to ‘Technology, Design and the Arts - Opportunities and Challenges Part 1 Chp.2. (Springer Series on Cultural Computing) (Liggett, S. 2020)
2020 ‘Framing the Conversation: the role of the exhibition in overcoming interdisciplinary communication challenges’. is a contribution to ‘Technology, Design and the Arts - Opportunities and Challenges Part II Chp.3. (Springer Series on Cultural Computing)
2018 ‘The Potential of Painting: Unlocking Disenfranchised Grief for People Living With Dementia’. Authors: Liggett. S. Wyatt,.In June 2018 Illness Crisis & Loss DOI:10.1177/1054137318780577.
2018 ‘Interdisciplinary Research Unmasked: a new curatorial model for multi-audience engagement’. Authors Liggett, S. Corcoran, M. In Studies in Visual Arts and
Communication: an international journal Vol 5, No 1 (2018) on-line ISSN 2393 – 1221.
2018 ‘The Role of Personal Experience in Abstract Painting: the changes in the work of three contemporary British painters from 1980’s to present day.’ Presentation: Symposium presentation: British Abstract Painting in the 1980’s, Coventry University.
http://www.abstractbritain.com/
2017 'Visual Arts Mental health and Technology'. Authors Liggett S., Heald K. In 'Art, Design and Technology: Collaboration and Implementation'. Edited by Earnshaw, R. pp. 67-82, Springer International Publishing.
Membership of Professional Bodies
2019 Elected a member of the Royal Cambrian Academy
2002 Became a membership Higher Education Academy.
1995 Elected a Freeman of Company Worshipful Company of Painter Stainers.
1996 Elected a Freeman of City of London, Guildhall of London.
1994 Royal Academy Alumni (Formerly the Reynolds Club).
Painting Exhibitions
2019-2024 Summer and Winter Exhibition at the Royal Cambrian Academy, Conwy.
2018 Hampstead Baptist Church, London.
2017 SUITE@THEHORSEFALL, Manifest Arts Festival, Manchester.
SUITE Open Studios, Salford.
2016 NEAC Open, Mall Galleries, London.
Moving Minds, Oriel Sycharth Gallery, Wrexham.
2015 Carbon Meets Silicon, Oriel Sycharth Gallery, Wrexham.
2014 Resilience, Congo Projects, Rogue Studios Manchester.
2014 Shortlisted for the Lynn Painter-Stainer Prize, Mall Galleries, London.
2012 Selbstportraits – nur ich?, Kunsthauschen Herrliberg, Switzerland.
2005
Borderlands , Exhibition and exhibition catalogue, Galeria Bielsko, Bielsko-Biala, Poland.
2005 On the Brink, Galeria Sukiennice, Krakow, Poland.
2005 Ways of Looking in Something Light: Notes on Abstraction, exhibition catalogue and exhibition, Gallery Sycharth, Glyndwr University.
2003Red Door Studio selected artists, Red Door Studio, London.
1999 New Paintings: Susan Liggett, Niki Nemec and Kwai Lau, The Hart Gallery, London.
1998 One person show downstairs at the Castlefield Gallery, Manchester.
1997 The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London.
1996 The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London.
1996 Borderlands, Bleddfa, Powys, Wales, Eros 1, Coventry Gallery, Old Street, London, One person show, The Smiths Gallery, London.
1995 The Tavistock Clinic, London, The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London, Space Awards,The Raw Gallery, London.
1994 The Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London, Contemporary Arts Society, Royal Festival Hall, London, Fresh Art, Business Design Centre, London.
Awards
2010-2013 Research and Development award from the Arts Council of Wales, Safle and the North Wales Clinical School at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board in collaboration with K. Heald, Dr R Tranter and Prof R Poole.
2006 Harris Manchester College Fellowship awarded by Glyndwr University for a residency at Harris Manchester College, University of Oxford.
1994 Space Studios Artists Awards: One year’s tenure of a London artist’s studio (1994-95), followed by an exhibition at the Raw Gallery, London.
1994 The Cyril Sweet Award for Painting, Awarded by the Worshipful Company of Painter Stainters, London.
1994 The Haite Travelling Scholarship awarded by the Royal Academy Schools
1993 The Royal Academy Schools Prize for Printmaking.
1989 The Margaret Bryan Scholarship awarded by Nottingham Trent University
Collaborative Exhibitions
2017 The Disappearing L... Women's Only Night, filmed performance screening of Paper Interior, Stiwdio Maelor, Corris, Wales, with Karen Heald.
2015 Slippage: the unstable nature of difference, Contemporary Art Space Chester. Curated by Lesley Halliwell and Jo Thorne.
2013 In-between-ness exhibition of video performance / installations, video stills and paintings from the artist’s response to the In-between-ness project, Gallery Sycharth, Glyndwr University, Wrexham, Wales (6th September – 4th November, 2013), Karen Heald & Susan Liggett.
2013 In-between-ness: Using art to capture the changes to the self during antidepressant treatment collaborative exhibition of video installations, video stills, paintings and artist books as part of the Royal College of Psychiatry International Congress, Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Edinburgh, UK, (2nd - 5th July,2013) Karen Heald, Susan Liggett Rob Poole, Richard Tranter & participants.
2013 Helfa Gelf/Art Trail open studios as part of the Glyndwr Collective, School of Art & Design, Wrexham, Wales (6th– 29th September 2013).
2013 In-Betweenness, Oriel Pendeitsh, Caernarfon.
2012 Videoformes film screening and live performance event in Trinty Church, Salford live streamed to Maison du Peuple, Clermont-Ferrand, France (15th March 2012).
2011 Heald, K & Liggett
UK based, artist Marina Moreno, elysium Gallery with ART-E-MOTION presents Vending Machine: an Installation, which features the work of both UK based and International artists. http://www.venicevendingmachine.com/catalogue.html
2010 Visualising the Invisible, Durber Gallery & Caitrin Finch Centre, Glyndwr University,Wrexham, in collaboration with Karen Heald, Arts Council of Wales, Safle and the NHS inrelation to an Artist Residency in the Ablett Psychiatric Unit in North Wales.
2010 White part of Film to Change, Leeds International Film Festival. A series of events, screenings and exhibitions exploring mental health and film Leeds Town Hall, (Nov 8th-Nov 17th 2010) in collaboration with Karen Heald.
2009 Liggett, S & Heald, K White' & 'Blue Instituto Cervantes, Manchester.
2009 Liggett, S & Heald, K, Artist Residency, collaborations with patients and art works, Glan Clwyd NHS Hospital, N. Wales.