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Richard Sweeney was born in Huddersfield, England in 1984. He discovered a natural talent for sculpture at Batley School of Art and Design in 2002, which led him to the study of Three Dimensional Design at the Manchester Metropolitan University, where he concentrated on the hands-on manipulation of paper to create design models, which ultimately developed into sculptural pieces in their own right.

Richard’s practice combines the disciplines of design, photography, craft and sculpture, resulting in a varied output of work including graphic design and public sculpture commissions. Combining hand-craft with computer aided design and CNC manufacturing techniques, Richard seeks to maintain an experimental, hand-on approach, utilising the unique properties of often mundane materials to discover unique sculptural forms. He has lectured at the University of Applied Arts, Vienna as part of the Sliver architecture lecture series 2009 and is a regular guest lecturer at the graphic design department at Sheffield Hallum University.

Richard is represented by Victor Felix Gallery, London.

Education

2003 - 2007
Bachelor of Arts: wood, metal, ceramics & glass.
Manchester Metropolitan University

2002 - 2003
Pre BA Foundation Art & Design
Batley School of Art and Design

 

Selected Exhibitions

2013
-Art at No.10. 10 Downing Street, London. A selection of contemporary craft & design curated by Janice Blackburn.
-Paperworks. Berkshire Museum, Massachusetts.
-Miniartextil Montrouge. Le Beffroi, Montrouge, Paris. Touring group shown of contemporary textile works.

2012
- Lincoln Cathedral. Olympic Horses commissioned for Lincoln Flower Festival 2012.
- Spatial Shift. The Gallery Project in Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA. Group show of kinetic and tactile works.
- Folding Paper: The infinite possibilities of origami. Japanese American National Museum, Los Angeles.
- Miniartextil, group show of contemporary textile work. Villa Olmo, Como, Italy.

2011
- Turned Pages: Group show of paper artwork in Chicago at the Bridge Gallery of Contemporary Art, Chicago, USA.
- More Than Floral. Bilston Craft Gallery, Inverness Museum and Art Gallery.
- Sofia International Art Biennial 2011. Amateras Foundation, Sofia, Bulgaria
- Wallpaper* Handmade. Milan. In collaboration with Boucheron.
- Block Party: contemporary craft inspired by the art of the tailor. Touring group exhibition with the Crafts Council.
- Folding Neon. Collaborative neon sculptures with Neon Workshops, Wakefield, England.

2010
- Affordable Art Fair, Battersea Park, London. Represented by Victor Felix Gallery.
- Beta II, installation. Box, LYNfabrikken, Aarhus, Denmark.

2009
- Affordable Art Fair, Battersea Park, London. Represented by Victor Felix Gallery.
- Papershapers, Scion Installation, Culver City. California. Group exhibition of paper artwork.
- 12x12x122. Group show, BECA gallery, New Orleans, USA.
- 100% Design London. Collaborative exhibtion with Lazerian studio.
- Paper. Peel Gallery, Houston, Texas. Group exhibit.

2008
- Mobius: Pleated forms in paper. Selfridges, Orchard Street windows, London.
- Crafts Council: New Faces. Canary Wharf Mall.
- Small Show Huge Talent. 9 Hillgate Street, Notting Hill Gate, London.
- Beta Sheet, paper installation. Somerset House, London for the Origin Craft Fair.

2007
- Designers in Residence. Design Museum, London
- Cartasia: International Paper Festival. Outdoor installation, Lucca, Italy

2006
- Three Dimensional Design Degree Show. Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester
- DKNY Award Showcase. DKNY flagship store, London
- Bienale Internationale Design. Cité du Design de Saint-Étienne, France

Teaching and workshops


2012, 16th-17th January, Kunsthochschule Kassel, Germany. Paper folding workshop with product design students.
2012, 19th May, 9th June, The Barbican, London. On Paper Construction: Paper folding workshop in conjunction with the Bauhaus exhibition.
2011, 3rd March, Royal College of Art, London. The students of Department of Architecture present: "Alternative Approaches", a discussion with Richard Sweeney and Julijonas Urbonas.
2011, 6th January, Lecture, Aarhus School of Architecture, Denmark.
2010, December 1st, Lecture, critiques, Michigan State University, Art and Design Department.
2010, March 12, Guest lecture, Zaha Hadid Architects, London.
2009, May 28, Lecture (Part of “Sliver”series). Paper folding as a means to generate architecture, Institute of Architecture, University of applied arts Vienna.
2008/2009, Guest lecturer, Batley School of Art and Design, Pre BA foundation Art & Design.
2008/2011, Guest lecturer, Sheffield Hallumn University, Graphic design.
2007, Guest lecturer, School of Art and Design Berlin Weissensee, Fashion Design
2007, Paper folding workshop, Hotspur Press, Manchester.
2006, Guest lecturer, Staffordshire University, Pre BA foundation Art & Design.



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