Motivational Pull - Oil & arylic on linen, 60 x60 cm, 2015

Biographie

 

 

                     Simon Willems

 

Born                  Shoreham-by-sea (UK), November 1971        

                                            

Education

 

2013 –                   PhD Fine Art, University of Reading

1998-00                  MA (RCA) Painting, Royal College of Art

1991-94                BA (hons) Fine Art –1st Class, Nottingham Trent University

 

SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS

 

2015                  Universal solutions incorporated, Xero, Kline & Coma, London

                           Universal solutions incorporated, Galerie Polaris, Paris

 

2012                  Rogue elements, Michel Soskine Inc. Madrid, Spain

 

2011  A certain way to fade Torrance Art Museum, Los Angeles, USA

All things for all people Villa Saint-Cyr, Bourg-La-Reine, France

A certain way to fade  Galerie Polaris, Paris, France

 

2010                  Altitude sickness Elaine Levy Project, Brussels, Belgium

                           How not to disappear completely Galleri SE, Bergen Norway

 

2009  Altitude sickness Galerie Polaris, Paris, France

Charm offensive, Het Oude Raadhuis, Hoofddorp, Netherlands

 

2008                  The advantages of failure, Vegas Gallery, London, UK

Cloud music, Mark Moore Gallery, Los Angeles, USA

                           Determinator, Galerie Polaris, Paris, France

 

2006                  You must enjoy it like this, Galerie Polaris, Paris, France

                           Don’t go weird on me, Mark Moore Gallery, Los Angeles, USA

 

2005                  Strangeways here we come, Wallspace , New York, USA

 

      2004                                                 Recent cave painting and other exploits, Galerie Polaris, Paris, France

Bad things even happen to nice people, FRAC Auvergne, Clermont                            Ferrand, France

 

2002                      Folk law, Percymiller Gallery, London, UK

 

2001                  Death to the archers, Galerie Polaris, Paris, France

                           Percymiller Gallery, London, UK

 

 

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS    

 

2014                        Collection Gilles Balmet, Le Vog Centre D’art Contemporain,                                                 Fontaine, France           

Summer Saloon Lion & Lamb Gallery, London (touring to Aldeburgh Beach South Lookout, Suffolk)

Si on n'a pas vu le bonheur dans l’image, on en verra le noir ( Sans soleil - Chris Marker ) Galerie Polaris in collaboration with Galerie Anne Barault (curated by Ramuntcho Matta) Paris, France

 

2013         Sitting with the qualities of a mountain, Blyth Gallery, Imperial          College, London

Pratique 2: La Coleur Code Noir FRAC Haute-Normandie, Rouen,          France  (curated by Lidewij Edelkoort)

ARCO Madrid

 

2012                  Let the world slip Lion & Lamb Gallery, London

Verlan, Twelve Around One Gallery, London

 

2011                  Et Plus Si Affinités Artothèque de Caen, Caen, France

Caras y Máscaras. Identidad Primitiva y Contemporánea (Faces: Primitive and Modern Identities) Michel Soskine Inc. Madrid, Spain

LVM (La Vie Moderne) exposition d’oeuvres du FRAC Haute-Normandie

Diep festival de la Côte d’Albâtre – Château-Museé, Dieppe, France

                                 Please drive slowly through our village, FOLD gallery, London, UK

                                 Drawing now Paris, Art Brussels, MACO Mexico City (art fairs)

 

2010                        Library of Babel/ In and out of place Project 176 (Zabludowicz                                     collection) London

(curated by Anna-Catharina Gebbers) UK

                        Art of Giving, (Fundraiser) Saatchi Gallery, London UK

                        Fifty ways to keep your lover Galleri SE,Bergen, Norway

                        An impossible Match  Galerie Polaris, Paris, France (curated by                                     Liberty Roy)

Extension du domaine de la realite Ecole Regionale des Beaux Arts de Rennes, France

Book of Brilliant things Elaine Levy Project, Brussels, Belgium

House of Fairy tales Millenium Gallery, St.Ives , UK

Exquisite Trove  (House of Fairy tales) Newlyn Art Gallery, UK

                        Art Copenhagen (art fair)

 

2009                  Exquisite Trove (House of Fairy tales) The New Art Gallery Walsall, UK

                        Polari, Vegas Gallery London, UK

                        Horn of Plenty (House of Fairy Tales), Viktor Wynd Fine Art inc. London, UK

                        (des)accords communs FRAC Haute-Normandie, Rouen, France

I am by birth a Genovese, Galerie Forde Esapce D’art Contemporain, Geneva, Switzerland

Take the A train, Galerie Polaris, Paris, France

Enjoy Grusenmeyer Art Gallery, Deurle, Belgium

The Open West, Summerfield Gallery, Pitville studios, Uni. of            Gloucestershire, UK

No end in sight Vegas Gallery London, UK

Salon du dessin contemporain, Paris, France (art fair)

 

2008             London Calling Grusenmeyer Art Gallery, Duerle, Belgium

Awopbopaloobop, Transition Gallery, London, UK

Terra Firma FOLD Gallery, London, UK

Fake ID Vegas Gallery, London, UK

L’experience utile, Galerie Polaris, Paris, France

Drawings Peacock Projects -  Pullens Yard, London, UK

No end in sight Galerie Polaris, Paris, France

Project (OR) Centrifugal Projects (art fair) Art Brussels

 

2007                  Galleri SE, Bergen, Norway

Inter-view - galleryThe space, Seoul,  South Korea

Ground zero, size zero, Vegas Gallery, London, UK

A travers le miroir (le secret) Musee d’art et d’Archeolgie, Aurillac, France

LA-Art in New York, Art Brussels, Art Chicago, Pulse-London, FIAC Paris, Salon du dessin contemporain Paris, Pulse Miami (art fairs)

 

2006             Flow Charting  Raid Projects, Los Angeles, USA

London Elsewhere Galerie Bernhard Knaus, Manheim, Germany

                           Mon de l’ouvre – l’ouvre Galerie Polaris, Paris, France

                           Mark Moore Gallery Presents at Rokeby, London, UK

Une simple question de temps, FRAC Auvergne Musee Crozatier, Le Puy-en-Velay, France

Art Brussels, Pulse-New York, Art Copenhagen, FIAC Paris, Pulse-Miami, NADA Art fair Miami

 

2005                         Extensions du paysage FRAC Auvergne - Espace Boudeville, Dompierre sur Besbre, France

                           FIAC Paris, Art Rotterdam, NADA Artfair Maimi (art fairs)

 

        2004                                               39 Xmas show –, 39 Mitchell St – London, UK

Soleil Vert  FRAC Auvergne, Musse D’art Roger Quillot, France

Sale et Sucre -  Galerie Polaris, Paris, France

Art Brussels, FIAC Paris, NADA Artfair Miami (art fairs)

 

2003                  Side Track -, Percy Miller Gallery, London, UK

Sale et Sucre –, Galerie Polaris, Paris, France

Western Spaghetti (Les nouveaux conquerants) FRAC Auvergne, Clermont Ferrand, France

La Maitre des ombres –, Fonds d’art et Contemporain, Montlucon, France

Artissima Bologna, FIAC Paris, Art Brussels (art fairs)

 

2002                              Four Colleges (A T Kearney HQ), London, UK

                           Reverbere Gallery, Lyon , France

                           Art Brussels, FIAC Paris, Art Turin, Art Cologne (art fairs)

 

2001                      Miniature Madness –, Winkley St Studios, London, UK

                           Art Brussels, FIAC Paris (art fairs)

        

2000                  Recent Works, Galerie Polaris, Paris, France

Soft & Gentle, Gallery Westland Place, London, UK

                           Assembly-Project, Jubilee Street (Whitechapel), London, UK

                               Together Again, Pumphouse Gallery, London, UK

                           En-route  Galerie Claudia Gros-selbeck, Dusseldorf, Germany

                           FIAC Paris(art fair)

 

1999                  RCA Group Show, Ecole des Beaux Arts, Paris, France

1996                  Gilchrist Fisher Award, Cadogan Contemporary, London UK

1993                     Just Found,  St.Baafsabdij (Gent) Belgium

 

 

CURATORIAL PROJECTS

 

2014                  City Lit Art Screenings, The Conservatoire, London

2013                  Sitting with the qualities of a mountain, Blyth Gallery (Imperial College) London

2012                  Let the world slip, Lion & Lamb Gallery, London

2011                  Please drive slowly through our village, Fold Gallery, London

2009                  No end in sight, Vegas Gallery, London

2008                  No end in sight, Galerie Polaris, Paris

2001                  Miniature Madness, Winkley Street Studios, London

2000                  Soft and gentle, Gallery Westland Place, London

 

 

SELECTED BOOKS & CATALOGUES

 

2014                      The Return of the Subject: Contemporary Figurative Painting (Laurence King)

2011                      All things for all people, Villa Saint-Cyr, Bourge-la-Reine, France (catalogue)

2011                  A Certain Way to Fade, Galerie Polaris, Paris (catalogue)

2010                      Altitude sickness, Galerie Polaris (Paris) & Elaine levy Project (Brussels)

2010                     Library of Babel/ In and Out of Place - Project 176, Zabludowicz Collection

2009                      Traits pour traits FRAC Haute-Normandie - Drawings from the collection

2008                  Cloud Music Mark Moore Gallery, Santa Monica (catalogue)

2006                  Vous Etes Ici  FRAC Auvergne 2000-2006

2004                  Simon Willems – Bad things even happen to nice people FRAC Auvergne

 

 

 

SELECTED ARTICLES & REVIEWS

 

21st Sept 2012         Pablo Sobisch – ‘El Pais’ (magazine) Galerias p.39 (Spain)

Winter 2011/12         The Drawer: Volume 2 La Métamorphose  (France) p.52-7

December 2011         Sioux Magazine (California) p. 2-4

October 2011            Rebecca Geldard – ‘Art Review’ Please drive slowly through our village p.134

April 17th 2011         Emmanuelle Lequex -‘Le Monde’ (Culture)– (France)

October 2010         Caroline Laurent ‘Liberation’ (Blog) Les paysages figures de Simon Willems

Sep 10th 2010         Claude Lorent – ‘LaLibre Belgique’ (Culture) p.9

Summer 2010           Elephant magazine – Simon Willems Storm-trooper mourning the loss of his mother p.104-9

Oct 18-19th 2009     Emmanuelle Lequex -‘Le Monde’ (Culture)– (France) –p.21

May 30th 2009         Samantha Deman – Semeur de troubles Les amisde Cimasie.fr (online)

Fall/Winter 2008         Eve Wood – ‘Art US’ Simon Willems at Mark Moore Gallery p.76

Autumn 2008         Ken Pratt- Only when I laugh – Simon Willems – WOUND magazine p.261-5

September 2008         Allison Gibson – ‘Beautiful Decay’ Cloud Music at Mark Moore gallery p.10

May 2008              critiCAL – ‘ARTslant Los Angeles’ Cloud Music at Mark Moore Gallery (online)

March 23rd 2007         Valerie Duponchelle, ‘Le Figaro’ (online)

Dec 2005                  Art Review - Bright Young Things - p.103

May-Sep 2004Eric Fayet – ‘Flashart’ – At the galleries – p.53

April 17th 2004La Montagne Celebrer l’irrecevable (France)

Nov 1st 2002         Jessica Lack – ‘The Guardian’ (The Guide – Previews) – p.35

Dec 10th-17th 2001         ‘A Nous Paris’ – N. 117 (France)

Nov 28-Dec 4 2001 Emmanuelle Lequex -‘Le Monde’ (Aden) ‘Les Arts’ – (France) –p.27

June 13-20th 2001         Jim Healy – ‘What’s On’ p.25

June 11th2001         Jessica Lack – ‘The Guardian’ (G2) ‘Picks of the week’ – p.18

May 2001                  Art Review – p.55

20 Aug 2000         Charlotte Mullins – The New Sensation – Independent on Sunday

12th Jan 1996Iain Gale – ‘The Week’ (Issue 32), p.18

6th Jan 1996         Iain Gale – ‘The Independent’

 

SELECTED COLLECTIONS

 

Art Review

Artothèque de Caen, (France)

British Airways Collection

Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York

David Roberts Collection

Fondation COLAS, (France)

FRAC Auvergne (France)

FRAC Haute-Normandie (France)

Frederick Weisman Foundation

Leonard Nimoy Collection

Royal College of Art, London

Ville de Bourg-la-Reine, (France)

Zabludowicz Collection

Various Private Collections worldwide

Dernière mise à jour le 17 avril 2015