Helen Ward British

Works
Overview

Helen Ward is an artist and designer from Bristol, who is best known for her intricate Paper Entomology artwork. Her work takes inspiration from antique collections of butterflies and insects.

 

Helen began her creative career working as both a traditional bookbinder and as a paper engineer designing and making pop-up books. She started collecting antique papers during this time and now has an extensive collection of hand marbled papers. Most of these date back to Victorian times, but some are even older. Each different paper is entirely unique and has been made using traditional methods. Many of the red pigments used have been made from crushed beetle shells.

 

Each individual piece of paper in Helen's work has been carefully cut and pinned into place with enamel entomology pins. Some works also have additional embellishment with leaf metals.

 

Helen currently shows her work across the UK and has exhibited in cities around the world including Paris, Brussels, New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong. Her work has been shown at the V&A Museum and has been commissioned as the prizes for the Observer Ethical Awards.

 

Collectors of Helen's work include the Swedish Royal Family, the Thai Royal Family and British designer and presenter of Grand Designs, Kevin McCloud.

 

Helen Ward is is represented exclusively in St Ives and Cornwall by the Porthminster Gallery.

Biography

Helen Ward biography

 

Education 

2001           BA (Hons) Degree in Graphic Design, University of West of England

 

Exhibitions 

2017           ‘Ten Years On: Showing Off’, Porthminster Gallery, St Ives, Cornwall

2016           Porthminster Gallery, St Ives, Cornwall

                   Sarah Wiseman Gallery, Oxford

                   Foss Fine Art, London

                   Byard Art, Cambridge

2014           White Space, Totnes

                   Byard Art, Cambridge

2013           White Space, Totnes

                   Byard Art, Cambridge

                   Sarah Wiseman Gallery, Oxford

                   The Lyndhurst Gallery, Hampshire

                   The Cube Gallery, Bristol

2012           The Cube Gallery, Marylebone, London

                   The Cube Gallery, Bristol

                   Sarah Wiseman Gallery, Oxford

                   Covet and Collect, Hampshire

                   Byard Art, Cambridge

2011           The Cube Gallery, Marylebone, London

                   The Cube Gallery, Bristol

                   Sarah Wiseman Gallery, Oxford

2010           'Christmas Cracker', Byard Art, Cambridge

                   The Cube Gallery, Bristol

                   The Cube Gallery, Marylebone, London

                   Edinburgh Arts Fair, Scotland

                   Art Toronto, Toronto, Canada

                   Affordable Art Fair, Battersea Park, London

                   Affordable Art Fair, Hampstead Heath, London

                   Affordable Art Fair, New York

                   Affordable Art Fair, Bristol

                   Affordable Art Fair, Brussels

                   ArtHamptons, The Hamptons, New York

                   'Observer Ethical Awards 2011', Victoria & Albert Museum, London

                   'Wild at Heart', Sarah Wiseman Gallery, Oxford

                   Art Chicago, Chicago

                   Chelsea Art Fair, London

                   20|21 International Art Fair, London

                   Brownston Gallery, Modbury, Devon

2009           Edinburgh Arts Fair, Scotland

                   Affordable Art Fair, Amsterdam

                   Affordable Art Fair, London

                   '10x10', Byard Art, Cambridge

2009           The Cube Gallery, Bristol

                   Affordable Art Fair, New York

                   'Paperworks 3', Bury Art Museum

                   Cambridge Art Fair, Cambridge

                   Affordable Art Fair, Paris

                   Affordable Art Fair, Bristol

                   Chelsea Art Fair, London

                   'Papercuts', Rostra Gallery, Bath

2008           The Cube Gallery, Bristol

                   Affordable Art Fair, Amsterdam

                   Affordable Art Fair, London

                   Brownston Gallery, Modbury, Devon

                   'Nature's Way', The Grant Bradley Gallery, Bristol

                   '3', Square, Bristol

                   Fireworks Gallery, Bristol

 

Press

2017           Cornwall Today, March issue (‘Ten Years On: Showing Off’,

                   Porthminster Gallery, St Ives

2016           Cornwall Life, December issue

Exhibitions