Collection of ZENA BLACKWELL - Liminal Gallery in a gallery layout

ZENA BLACKWELL

Zena Blackwell is an award-winning figurative painter based in Cardiff, Wales, UK, working primarily in oil paint. She obtained her MFA at Central Saint Martins; BA at Wimbledon School of Art and most recently completed the Turps Correspondence Course. A year after resuming her painting practice following a lengthy break, Blackwell won first prize at the Cardiff MADE Summer Open 2017, presenting a very well received inaugural solo show there the following year, consisting of 30 new works. She was also awarded 3rd prize at PS Mirabel’s open exhibition ‘PAINT’ (Manchester) in 2019 and in 2024 she was awarded the Friends of the Glynn Vivian Prize at Beep Painting Biennial. She has been shortlisted for the Royal Academy Summer Show and BEEP Painting Prize twice. 

She has exhibited at many prestigious galleries including Saatchi Gallery and Hastings Contemporary.  Her work is held in the permanent collection of the National Library of Wales and in many private collections globally, including USA, UK, France, Switzerland, Canada, Japan, Russia, Belgium and Poland. 

Blackwell founded the instagram blog Contemporary Cymru (2017 -2023), between 2003-2011 she co-founded a critically acclaimed live music event in London and also DJ’ed nationally and internationally.

ARTWORKS

EXHIBITIONS

A DREAM WITHIN A DREAM: GROUP EXHIBITION

1 February - 22 March 2025

CV

Education

Turps Correspondence Course 

MA Fine Art Central Saint Martins, London, UK

BA Fine Art (hons) Wimbledon College of Art, London, UK

Collections

National Library of Wales

Work in private collections in USA, UK, France, Japan, Australia, Belgium, Switzerland, Canada and Poland. 
 

Awards and Grants

2024 Winner of the Friends of the Glynn Vivian Prize at BEEP

2024 Shortlisted for the BEEP Painting Prize 

2022 Shortlisted for the BEEP Painting Prize 

2021 Shortlisted for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2021 Arts Council of Wales 'Create' Award
Turps Correspondence Course 2021-22
2020
Arts Council of Wales awarded to Contemporary Cymru for HOUSEHOLD NAME

2020 Arts Council of England awarded to Contemporary Cymru for HOUSEHOLD NAME 
2019 3rd prize PAINT at PS Mirabel, Manchester

2018 Arts Council of Wales Grant towards the cost of 'Seen Not Heard'

2017 1st prize Cardiff MADE Summer Open

PAST EXHIBITIONS: 
SOLO SHOWS:

2022 A Delicate Balance : Solo show at Canfas, Cardigan

2018 Seen Not Heard: Solo Exhibition at Cardiff MADE, Cardiff



SELECTED GROUP SHOWS:

2024
The Walls Between Us curated by SOTA at Saatchi Gallery, London 

BEEP Painting Biennial, Elysium Gallery, Swansea
Among Women, Vol 1 curated by Occupata at Art Market, Cardiff 

Primal : Tribal : Beats at Studio Cennen, Llandeilo 

Rejects (celebration of work overlooked by the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition), Art Friend, Stokey Pop Up, London

Made in Roath Open at g39, Cardiff
Y Lle Celf, National Eisteddfod, Rhondda Cynon Taf 

Arcade Campfa Studio Show, Art Market, Cardiff 



2023

Latent Dreaming: AucArt x SeeFood Room at SeeFood Room, Hong Kong
Through the Looking Glass - Aucart Group Show, Fitzrovia Gallery, London
New Wave - Spitalfields Studios, London
SOTA Marketplace : Accessible Art Fair, The Lab, London 
Resilience - Annual Spring Show - Cardiff MADE 
Human : Nature - Studio Cennen, Llandeilo 
Best of the Solo Art Prize winners exhibition, Cardiff MADE 

2022
Art on a Postcard Auction, The Bomb Factory, Covent Garden, London

THE OTHER ART FAIR, Truman Brewery, London
A Generous Space, Hastings Contemporary, Hastings 
A Room of Her Own, Irving Contemporary, Oxford
BEEP Painting Prize 2022, Elysium Gallery, Swansea 
Collecting - exhibition of new acquisitions at The National Library of Wales, Aberystwyth 
Otherworlds at Cardiff MADE, Cardiff 
A Women's Place is Everywhere, The Cello Factory, London
Draw : Wales, Wales Week in London
I contributed a drawing for a sketchbook feat. work by prominent Welsh artists inc. Shani Rhys James & Kevin Sinnott auctioned for Velindre 
Made in Roath open @g39, Cardiff 
The Sketchbook at Llantarnum Grange, Cwmbran 
Y Lle Celf, National Eisteddfod, Tregaron, Cardigan 
Body, Stitch, Soul at Studio Cennen, Llandeilo
A Celebration of Welsh Contemporary Painting at Red House, Merthyr Tydfil 
Ebb and Flow, Studio Cennen, Llandeilo
Catalyst: Painters from the Turps Banana Correspondence Course, Oriel Canfas, Cardiff 
The Hearth Gallery, Llandough Hospital
City Hospice Charity Auction - Roger Jones & Co, Cardiff 
Poems, Psalms & Song, Studio Cennen, Llandeilo
Cardiff MADE Winter Open
Celebration of Contemporary Welsh Painting, Pierhead Futures Gallery, Cardiff Bay (

2021
Truth : Myth : Dreams at Studio Cennen, Llandeilo 
Cardiff MADE Winter Exhibition at Cardiff MADE, Cardiff
Without Borders - Elysium Gallery (the exhibition traveled to Japan, Norway, USA, Venice, Canada, and back to Wales)
Household Name Virtual Exhibition 
Household Name: Group show curated by Contemporary Cymru
Elysium Gallery, Swansea  with Laura Ford, Cherry Pickles, Zoë Gingell, Fern Thomas, Adele Vye and Raji Salan
Cambium at Cardiff MADE


2020

Coming Up For Air - Oriel Canfas, Cardiff  (part of BEEP Biennial) 
Telling Tales  (Three person show with Lara Davies and Rhiannon Davies) - Bay Art, Cardiff 
Arcade Studio Exhibition at Arcade Campfa, Cardiff 
A View From The Edge : Contemporary Landscape in the Digital Age, Cardiff MADE



2019

Cardiff MADE Winter Show

AGORED19 at Galeri, Caernarfon

Present X Correct showcase by Contemporary Cymru at Corsica Studios, London

Y Lle Celf at The Eisteddfod, Llanrwst

PAINT at PS Mirabel, Manchester (awarded 3rd prize)

Empower Me! at g39, Cardiff

Arcade Studios at Bath Fringe Arts Festival, Bath

Tactile Bosch in Japan, Korea and Taiwan

The Mutterscream: Crepuscular Lush, Jacob’s Market, Cardiff

Viridis: Spring Show at Cardiff MADE



2018

Winter Show: Cardiff MADE

CSAD Auction at g39, Cardiff

Seen Not Heard: Solo Exhibition at Cardiff MADE, Cardiff

Made in Roath Open at g39, Cardiff

Y lle Celf, The Eisteddfod, Senedd, Cardiff

Filia (feminist conference in Manchester. Exhibition traveled to Sao Paulo, Brazil)



2017

Ankle Biters at Made in Roath, Cardiff

MADE Summer Open Exhibition, Cardiff, curated by Zoe Gingell (won 1st Prize)



2016

‘Domestic Bliss’ at Made in Roath, Cardiff

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