Liz Wilson’s practice works across the boundaries of print, moving image, sound and sculpture, Wilson’s practice explores the stretch of time between the industrial and post industrial; in particular the beginning of automation and how this is altering our relationships with technology. Using site visits as a catalyst to research, write and produce works, she is fascinated by the human machine relationship of both ‘conductor’ and ‘orchestra’ and how these performative roles manifest themselves within both our natural and fabricated environments.

Since graduating with an MA in Fine Art from the Royal College of Art, Wilson has exhibited nationally and internationally at institutions including the Taoxichuan Museum of Art (China), OGA (Rome), Parc de la Villette (Paris) and the Hockney Gallery (London). In 2019, she received the first digital commission for Art in Manufacturing as part of the National Festival of Making in partnership with Deco Publique, Super Slow Way and Arts Council England, culminating in the installation The Optical Mechanical.

In 2020, she undertook a seven-month residency at Coachworks, co-commissioned by Turner Works and Ashford Borough Council, collaborating with Hitachi Rail Ltd to produce The Orchestrated Unconscious. This led to further Arts Council England funding to work with CNC Robotics, culminating in Within the Wake (2022), showcased at the National Festival of Making and featuring in Aesthetica’s Future Now anthology. Most recently, she created OF CONFLUENCE (2024), an immersive installation commissioned as part of the Turner Prize wraparound programme in partnership with the Blackshed Gallery, Talent Accelerator at De La Warr Pavilion, Eastbourne Alive and Rother District Council. Developed in collaboration with local communities, the work brought together sound, sculpture and moving image to
explore the ecology of the tidal river.

In 2025, Wilson curated and exhibited in a major exhibition titled Radical Pairings at the National Festival of Making, coinciding with the publication of a critical essay by Elizabeth Fullerton (Art Critic and Writer, The New York Times, Art Monthly). In the same year, her work was shortlisted for Bloomberg New Contemporaries and she exhibited as part of the Aesthetica Art Prize in York. Recent exhibitions include the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists and she is also the recipient of the BBA Art Award, with work scheduled for presentation at BBA Gallery in 2027.

Exhibitions (Selection)

2027

Group exhibition, BBA Gallery, Berlin, Germany (Forthcoming)

2026

Verisimilitude, 2 Centre Square, Middlesbrough (official wraparound
programme for the Turner Prize)

2025

Aesthetica Art Prize, Group exhibition, York Art Gallery, UK
Radical Pairings, Group exhibition, Blakey Moore Terrace, National Festival of Making

2024

The Rhythm Machine, Solo exhibition, The Second Act, London, UK
Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, London, UK
OF CONFLUENCE, Solo exhibition, Turner Prize Wrap-around programme, Eastbourne, UK

2023
The Optical Mechanical, Solo exhibition, Middlesbrough Art Week, Cleveland Centre, UK
Creative Arts Digital Sandpit, FACT, Liverpool, UK

2022

The RSA Annual Exhibition, Group exhibition, Royal Scottish Academy, Edinburgh, Scotland, UK
Within the Wake, Solo exhibition, Tony’s Ballroom, Blackburn, UK
Flourish Award, The Point Gallery, Doncaster, UK

2020

The Orchestrated Unconscious, Solo exhibition, Coachworks, Ashford, UK

2019

The Optical Mechanical, Solo exhibition,Northgate, Blackburn, UK

2018

IAPA Exhibition of Printmaking, Jingdezhen, China BLUE\X80, Parc de la Villette, Paris, France

Prizes

2026

BBA Art Prize, Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, BBA Gallery

2025

Developing Your Creative Practice Grant, Arts Council England
Bloomberg New Contemporaries (Shortlisted)
Aesthetica Art Prize (Longlisted)

2024

Liverpool Sculpture Prize (Shortlisted)

2023

Residency & Commission | OF CONFLUENCE, Terminus Road, Eastbourne |
Commissioned by Blackshed Gallery and produced in partnership with The Talent
Accelerator at the De La Warr Pavilion, Rother District Council and Eastbourne

2022

Golsoncott Printmaking Award, Flourish Award, Yorkshire (Winner)
Residency & Commission, Within the Wake, Tony’s Ballroom, Blackburn,
Commissioned by Art in Manufacturing, the headline commissioning programme for the National Festival of Making and produced in partnership with CNC Robotics

2021

Developing Your Creative Practice Grant, Arts Council England

2020
Residency & Commission, The Orchestrated Unconscious, Coachworks, Ashford, Commissioned by Ashford Borough Council and produced in partnership with Turner Works and Hitachi Rail Ltd.

2019
Developing Your Creative Practice Grant, Arts Council England
The Optical Mechanical, Northgate, Blackburn, Commissioned by Art in
Manufacturing, the headline commissioning programme for the National Festival of Making and produced in partnership with Spiroflow

Publications (Selection)

2025

Radical Pairings, featuring essays by Elizabeth Fullerton (Forthcoming)
Essay commissioned by the National Festival of Making, written by Elizabeth
Fullerton (Art Critic & Writer for Art Monthly, New York Times & Guardian) including interview with Claire Mander (CoLab Arts)

2023

Publication, Future Now Anthology, Aesthetica Magazine

2022

Film & Publication, Art in Manufacturing, National Festival of Making

2021

An Interview with Liz Wilson, Print Club Ltd

2019

Publication, Art in Manufacturing, National Festival of Making