Biography

Public Sculpture Commissions:

"Windows", NHS Bristol, Cossham Hospital, New MRI Scanner building, 2021 - 2023.

"Tree",  Sculpture for Amble Sculpture Walk, Amble Development Trust, Northumberland, 2021/23.

"Espalier", Peabody St Johns Hill Phase 2 redevelopment project, Clapham, London, 2020 - 2023.

'Curtain", New District Community Centre Sculpture, Didcot, Vale of White Horse Council, 2020.

"Sack of Potatoes", Cambridge Investment Partnership, Anstey Way, Trumpington, Cambridge. 2019.

"Four Brick Reliefs", 2016The Peabody St John's Hill Phase 1 redevelopment project in London, incorporating four Brick Relief Sculptures won the RIBA regional award: https://www.architecture.com/awards-and-competitions-landing-page/awards/riba-regional-awards/riba-london-award-winners/2017/st-johns-hill-burridge-gardens-phase-01.

Redevelopment of Knowle West Childrens Centre, Bristol, UK. 2016

Two Brick Relief Sculptures for Brick Kiln Bank Housing development in Telford, Shropshire, 2015 - 2016. 

"Wallpaper and Sofas", 70metre long Sculpture, Bicester Public Art Project, Oxfordshire, UK. 2013.

"Washing Line", Shield Retail Centre, Filton, Eagle Land Development, Bristol, UK. 2013.

“Diatom and Continuum”, two Public Sculpture Commissions from North Somerset Council in Weston Super Mare. The main art component of the project called Revealing the Hidden aiming to re-engage local people with their environment. 2009-2011.

“Giant Brick Sphere”, Sculpture Commission from Gedling Borough Council, Nottingham, to celebrate the opening of a new Community Centre.  Developed in close consultation with the local community. 2008 – 2009

“Washing Machines”, Public Sculpture Commission from South Gloucestershire Council for the Shield Centre retail development in Filton, South Gloucestershire. Glazed Brick Relief Sculpture.

“Picnic Area Project”, Picnic seating and tables commissioned by the Friends of Kingswood Park, South Gloucestershire, made with funds from the National Lottery Big Lottery Fund. 2009-2010.

“Outdoor Classroom”, Public Sculpture Commission from Notre Dame High School in Norwich, Norfolk and LSI Architects Ltd. A pair of upholstered brick chesterfield sofas.

“Woodlice”, Public Sculpture Commission from Clifton Place Action Group in Bristol, Blue Brick Sculpture.

“Three-Piece-Suite”, Commissioned by the Department of Regeneration & Development, Thanet Borough Council, Ramsgate, Kent. The completed work was a shortlisted finalist in the prestigious Rouse Kent Public Art Award 2001. Features in the recently published book “Public Art in the South East”, Arts Council England.

Residencies/International:

International Terracotta Symposium, Northern Cyprus, 2017.

Latvia International Ceramics Biennale/Symposium, 2016.

The Leverhulme Trust Artist in Residence at Bristol University, 2014 - 2015

Invited artist, 6th International Terracotta Symposium, Eskisehir,Turkey. 2012.

Invited artist,  Bristol Biennial, June 2012. The Weapons Project.

Invited artist, World Ceramic Biennale, Seoul, South Korea. 2011.

Artist in residence,  Knowle West Childrens Centre, Bristol, UK. 2010 - ongoing.

Sculptor in Residence, Liverpool University, European Capital of Culture 2008/9.

Exhibitions and Collections:

2022 Earth: Digging Deep in British Art 1781-2022. Royal West of England Academy, Queen's Road, Bristol.

2017 Earth Art Gallery, Wills Memorial Building, Bristol University, Oct - April 2018.

2017 MS Balmoral, Site specific installation, Invisibility of the Sea, Brigstow Institute.

2017 West Wharf Gallery, Cardiff, Wales.

2016/7 "The Colour of the Earth", Oriel Y Parc St Davids, Museum of Wales.

2016 "Toaster", Brick Sculpture, Mark Rothko Centre Collection, Latvia.

2016 NCECA Exhibition "Like talking to a Brick Wall", Kansas, USA.

2016 Pomona College, California, USA, "The Order of Strata" print.

2016 The Institute of Advanced Studies, Bristol University, "South West" print.

2015 School of Earth Sciences, Bristol University, Giant Map.

2014 Municipal Headquarters, Eskisehir, Turkey, "Armchair" sculpture.

2012 Toyaseum Museum, Incheon, South Korea, "Sea Mine".

2010 Liverpool University Art Collection, Diatom print, Marine Biology.

Selected Bibliography:

American Geophysical Union Fall meeting 2020, online poster session with Professor Katherine Cashman, Prof Jon Blundy. 

Visual Arts South West Artist of the Month. http://www.vasw.org.uk/features/artist-of-the-month/september-rodney-harris.php?temp-new-window-replacement=true

Printmaking Today Journal, Autumn 2017 edition, article.

The Public Monuments and Sculpture Association Magazine feature article, March 2017.

Featured in ‘World Contemporary Public Ceramic Art, Shaoshan University Press, Hunan Province, China; [Ed] Zhang Yushan

Four page feature in Sep/Oct 2011 issue Ceramic Review. www.ceramicreview.com

Featured in “Public Sculpture of Bristol”, Liverpool University Press.

Featured in Brickworks,  A&C Black publications, by Gwen Heeney.

Awards/Teaching/Appointments:

Paper on Brick as a material for Sculpture, The Unusual Suspects Conference, Public Statues and Sculpture Association. 2022.

Visiting Lecturer on MA Architecture, University of Nottingham.

Visiting Lecturer on MA Ceramics, BA (Hons) Fine Art, Bath University. 

"Four Brick Reliefs", a collaboration with Valda Jackson, won the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association Marsh Award Judges special prize for Excellence in Public Sculpture. 2017

http://www.marshchristiantrust.org/award/marsh-award-for-excellence-in-public-sculpture/

Board member, Spike Print Studio, Bristol, UK. 2017 -

Advisory Board Member, Knowle West Childrens Centre, Bristol. 2016 -

Artist Trustee on the Board of Directors of Spike Island Artspace Ltd, a place for the production and exhibition of contemporary art and design. spikeisland.org.uk 2010 - 2014

Commissioned by Performing Arts Laboratories Ltd, London (www.pallabs.org) as a Co-Director of a Laboratory of Learning for Teachers and Artists who work with challenging and volatile young people. My role is to devise performative sculptural activities which address the most difficult aspects of working in this field for a selected group of teachers and artists. Also Co-Director of a Food Lab. 2005

Devising and facilitating practical workshops for the Sir John Soane Museum in Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London, aiming to increase understanding of the range of objects which can be found in the museum collection.

“S-Seat”, Arts Council England South West Grant Funded Residency/Commission at Sefton Park Junior School, Bristol, to design and make in collaboration with all school stakeholders a sculpture to improve the school environment. 2002.

Commissioned by Environment Department at Bristol City Council to collaborate on the development of innovative sculptural ideas for use in traffic management schemes. 2004.  

Lead Creative Practitioner on the Little Big Bang project in Somerset. takeart.org

The Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust award for Sculpture in Brick 1995. QEST

Live Art/Performance:

“Shock and Awe”, Live Art performance at Arnolfini, Bristol. 2010

Goat Island Summer School, Triskel Arts, Cork, Ireland. 2005.

“after it has been discovered”,  Arnolfini, Bristol. 2007

E: info@rodneyharris.co.uk

M: 07773095534