Elena Thomas
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Elena Thomas has spent decades working around themes of community and family - particularly mothering and childhood.
Recent works see her return to her own childhood: loving, creative, rural, but somewhat isolated and solitary, often accompanied by a sense of unidentified otherness.
The woods near her home provided a playground, imaginary friends, and endless narratives. These were often fuelled by folk tales from her mixed Irish/Serbian heritage, the eeriness of the woods at dusk and the near misses and failures of her own risk assessments.
Elena draws with ink and graphite, on watercolour grounds, or on fabric and clothing, often using collaged text. She also incorporates materials collected from the forest floor: twigs, moss, lichens and stones. Her works range from small intimate drawings to large installation pieces.
Elena is also a lyric writer and singer.
Her visual works, sound and performances have been seen the UK, in the USA, Sweden, Denmark and Greece.
Elena has a Masters Degree in Arts Practice and Education from Birmingham City University’s School of Art.
Lived Experience
Artist, songwriter, singer, mother, grandmother, reluctant gardener.
Elena Thomas
Artist’s Recent Biography
2026
Lament for 100 Fishes - workshops
With the Fish Collective at Ruskin Glass Centre
Songwriters' Studio
Monthly sharing group for women songwriters in Birmingham and the Black Country
2025
Juxtapose
Aarhus Denmark
Towards an Experimental Ecology of Line
Online course and exhibition
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Drawing Prize Exhibition 2025
Members Annual Show 2025
Haus-a-Rest
Online featured artist
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Ground floor gallery
May Break My Bones
2024
Eastside Projects
EOP Summer Camp (members' group exhibition)
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Members Annual Exhibition 2024
Prize Exhibition 2024
Summer Show 2024
Correspondence Residency (with Stuart Mayes)
Hospitalet Ateljéföreningen, Uppsala, Sweden
In Conversation
Uppsala Konstnärsklubb (Uppsala Art Club)
Elected Member of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Candidates Exhibition 2024
Goodlife Community CIC
Appointed Director
2023
Platforms Project
HMS, Independent Art Fair, Athens (Group show curated by Wendy Williams)
Selector and Mentor for Graduate Artists Programme
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Radio Public Library
Social art project in Brierley Hill library in conjunction with Workshop 24
Five, Six, Pick Up Sticks
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists (solo show)
Workshop and artist talk
Elena Thomas: Full Circle The Weeks Gallery, Jamestown New York USA, solo retrospective exhibition
2022
Fronteer Gallery Sheffield, Open Exhibition judging panel
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Members and Associates Exhibition 2022
Radio Public
Social art festival on Dudley High St in conjunction with CoLab and Workshop 24
West Midlands Open
selected works at The New Art Gallery Walsall
2021
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Members and Associates Exhibition 2022
Drawing Songs
Exhibition, Performances and Workshop
General Office, Stourbridge
Associate of the Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Candidates Exhibition 2021
The Drawbridge
Exhibition by members of the Facebook Group
Drawn In
Glitterball Showroom Online solo exhibition
Enköping, Sweden
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Friends Exhibition 2021
Drawing Songs
Arts Council England funded project
General Office Stourbridge
Winter Open Exhibition Online - Highly Commended
2020
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Selected work in Prize Exhibition - Highly Commended
Drawing Songs
Arts Council England funded project
Royal Birmingham Society of Artists
Friends Exhibition Online
Connections Daphne Francis Gallery Birmingham
2019
Cause and Effect (solo show) General Office Studios and Gallery
Cause and Effect (podcast) General Office Studios and Gallery
Drawing Your Space does The Big Draw General Office Studios and Gallery with Sarah Goudie
Drawing Your Space General Office Studios and Gallery with Sarah Goudi
Art Digbeth Group Show Custard Factory Digbeth Birmingham
Birmingham Weekender Cobalt Blue group show and Sitting Room performance
2018
General Office Drawing your Space (with Sarah Goudie)
General Office “Body of Work” Inaugural exhibition of studio artists
Artist teacher mentoring scheme with Carol Wild
2017
Artist Teacher Scheme Birmingham City University and New Art Gallery Walsall - Tutor
Alternative Portraits Group Exhibition, Access Gallery, Sheffield
Regeneration Open Exhibition ArtistsWorkhouse - Highly Commended
Nine Women ArtistsWorkhouse Studley Warwickshire - solo exhibition and performance with Dan Whitehouse
Text and Textiles: an exploration of memory and narrative ArtistsWorkhouse - Artist talk and workshop
2016
a-n Professional Development Bursary
Junction Festival of Contemporary Art Wolverhampton Art Gallery - Group Show
The Life of a Song (made at mac) mac Birmingham - Featured Artist
Practice Imperfect Symposium for Artist Educators at Birmingham City University - Event Organiser
AWE1 Artists' Workhouse Studley Worcestershire - "The Sitting Room" inaugural performance
Artist Teacher Scheme Birmingham City University and New Art Gallery Walsall - Tutor
2015
Life & Other Art Forms ArtSpace Dudley - Group exhibition
Artist Teacher Scheme Birmingham City University School of Art - Lead Tutor
Mouth and Music Boars Head Gallery Kidderminster - Performance of songs from Nine Women with Dan Whitehouse
Nine Women ArtSpace Dudley - Arts Council England funded project
WORN 3rd on 3rd Gallery Jamestown New York USA (Elements from Nine Women)
ARTMobile Vasteras Sweden (Elements from Nine Women)
From the Grass Roots - Emerging Strategies for Art and Design Education Symposium Birmingham School of Art Birmingham City University - Invited speaker
Qualifications
2012 MA Art Practice and Education - Birmingham City University School of Art
2009 BA (Open) Open University
1994 Cert Ed (Further, Adult and Higher Education) University of Wolverhampton
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