Bath Spa University is celebrating the success of former student Veronica Ryan OBE in winning this year’s Turner Prize.
Having studied for a BA in Fine Art at the Corsham Court campus-based Bath Academy of Art (now Bath Spa University’s Bath School of Art, Film and Media) from 1975-1978, Veronica Ryan, pictured, went on to establish an internationally revered exhibition profile, winning numerous awards across the globe.
Arguably the most prestigious art accolade in the UK, the Turner Prize is awarded in recognition of an artist’s outstanding exhibition, or presentation, of their recent developments in British art.
Veronica Ryan, who last year created the UK’s first permanent public artwork in honour of the Windrush generation, was born in 1956 in Montserrat and moved to London with her parents as an infant.
Paying homage to her roots, Ryan often uses the fruits, seeds and even volcanic ash from her home island.
Her inimitable creativity was evident when she displayed her unique works in a special Bath Spa alumni exhibition in 2020 as part of the launch of the university's new Locksbrook campus art facilities.
Another of her exhibitions, Along a Spectrum, included cocoa pods, avocado stones, orange peel and crocheted fishing net bags, pictured right.
This was displayed at Spike Island in Bristol in 2021 and also contributed to her nomination for the Turner Prize.
Through this work she examined environmental and socio-political concerns, personal narratives, history and displacement, and the wider psychological implications of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Her tribute to the Windrush generation of people who arrived in the UK from the Caribbean between the late 1940s and 1970s was unveiled in the London borough of Hackney.
It was this sculptural installation that led to her nomination for the Turner Prize.
Her oversized marble and bronze sculptures representing Caribbean fruit and vegetables such as breadfruit, soursop and custard apple, pictured below, captured the imaginations of many.
Head of Bath School of Art, Film and Media, Dan Allen, said the university was “absolutely delighted” that Veronica had been awarded the prestigious award.
“Her sculptures are poetic and quietly provocative; her artwork stands out from all of the noise and brashness that is so often celebrated in the contemporary art world,” he added.
“Ryan is a champion for all artists who wrestle with complex subject matter, but do so in a discursive and contemplative way.
“As an alumni of Bath Academy of Art, she is also a beacon for our talented artists, as they embark on professional careers with a mission to make positive change in the world through art.”
High praise for Ryan, who splits her time between Bristol and New York, came from the Turner Prize judging panel, who acclaimed “the personal and poetic way she extends the language of sculpture” and the “noticeable shift in her use of space, colour and scale both in gallery and civic spaces”.
At 66, she is the oldest recipient of the Turner Prize to date.
Image © Brian Roberts
