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Biography

(b.2001, UK) Lily Petch is a visual, multidisciplinary artist, her practice ruminates on the capacity writing and text based artefacts have to outlive the human form.

She encourages the potential, symbolism and fragility of chosen materials and their capacity to collapse or endure erasure.

Contextually, she is informed by the history of language systems, particularly the shift from proto-sumerian pictograph to codified signs of logo syllabic cuneiform.

More recent strains of her practice consider the conservation of semiotic evolution, permafrosts and glacial archaeology, burial markers and institutional rites around the possession of artefacts/text based material both physically and as digital data.

This research takes material form in Petch’s practice through book-centric installations, wax cylinder sound recording, photography, bookbinding, and poetry.

Education

2021 - 2024 BA Fine Art First Class Honours, The Slade School of Fine Art, London.

2020 - 2021 Art Foundation, Brighton Metropolitan College.

Mixed and Solo Exhibitions

2025

(solo) 'watching night fall like closing the first set of eyelids' The Writers Room, Holy Trinity Church, N1 0HN.

2024

'Gateway to the world' 107 High St, Stratford, E15 2QQ, London.

‘Permanent Notes’ with Riley Richards, Warwick Works, E5 8QJ, London.

The Slade School of Fine Art Undergraduate Degree Show.

'Threading The Eye, Era Journal' Crypt Gallery, 165 Euston Road, London.

'RIFT' Greatorex Street, E1 5NF, London.

2023

‘A Mere Interlude’ hARTSlane, 17 Harts Lane, London .

‘Interim’ Candid Arts Trust, Islington, London.

2022

‘SPIIIIINELESS’ Spineless Wonders, UCL Art Museum, London.

'CPR short film screening' Candid Arts Trust, Islington, London.

‘FISHTANK’ Penarth Center, SE15 1TR, London.

2021

'Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair 2021' Woolwich Works, SE18 6HD, London.

‘Thing 18/From The Drained Pool’ Form IV.

2020

‘New Contemporaries Annual Exhibition 2020’ Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh.

‘Art Prize 2020’ 35 North Gallery Brighton.

‘Everyday Dora Maar’ TATE Lates, Tate Modern, London.

Curation

2024

'aíma' Safehouse 1, SE15 3SN, London.

'RIFT' Greatorex Street, E1 5NF, London.

Readings / Press

2025

The New Cambridge Chapbook Review Issue 1. Winter 24/25, 'The written unit, signs, grave markers and the left behind object' review by Anthony Barnett.

2024

'Snow 14 lit rev', Conway Hall, 25 Red Lion Square WC1.

'Milkteeth' Interview by Madeleine Clark.

'From Stone To Clay To Butter' Dunlin Press, Free Verse: Poetry Book & Magazine Fair.

'Palm Like Paper', The Slade School of Fine Art.

'LARP' edition vol 17, Era Journal.

2021 - 2023

May 2023, 'The Horizon Magazine Issue 6', p56.

October 2023, 'The written unit, signs, grave markers and the left behind object', The Slade School of Fine Art.

August 2022 ‘Acierage’ publication reading, Avalon Cafe, SE14 5RZ.

March 2021 Poetry Shed Poetry & Colour symposium webinar.

Prizes