Sam Haynes
Sam Haynes started her practice nearly thirty years ago creating site specific public art installations, engaging local communities with the belief that art has the power to bridge divides within society. The creative process is still all about making connections, within her practice as an artist, curator and collaborator. Accessibility lies at the heart of Haynes’ work, incorporating found objects and materials, using low tech methods of construction to create abstract assemblages that reference architectural space. Moving between sculpture, photography and installation, these playful interactions, surprising and yet familiar, explore the tension created between balance and counterbalance, animated through the use of colour, light and shadow. Primarily led by an intuitive process, found objects become a metaphor for human connection, giving form to an emotional core.
Since 2020, the photographic process has become a key element of Haynes’ work, both in its development and display, presenting a fixed perspective while giving an enlarged perception of scale, allowing the every day object to be both elevated and celebrated.
Haynes has worked in arts facilitation for many years which continues to influence her artistic practice, engaging local, often marginalised communities, working in partnership with charities and public art commissioners.
Qualifications and training
1998 - ART IN ARCHITECTURE MA (DISTINCTION), University of East London, London
1989 - CREATIVE ARTS BA Hons (First Class), Nottingham Trent University, Nottingham
SOLO EXHIBITION
2023
'HOORAY FOR THE HERE AND NOW', SOLO SHOW, LONDON
Recent site responsive sculpture and assemblage photo prints
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2025
FLEX & FLUFF - co-curated a group show at ACME Glassyard studios as part of the Two Plus Two exhibition series, Stockwell, London
NORMALISATION - Uncovered Collective group show at the Safehouse in Peckham, London
SAGACIOUS - group exhibition at Luminoir Gallery, London
SHIFT - a Whitenoise Projects group exhibition including both photography and the site responsive installation "Catching a Glimpse of Light As We Go"
STILLNESS - ArtCan group show, Angel Centre, Islington, London
CLUSTER PHOTOGRAPHY AND PRINT FAIR - an international art fair in Shoreditch, London.
THE SOUND OF FORM - Rise Art curated group online exhibition
2024
LINDEN HALL WINTER SHOW - 10th anniversary group exhibition in Deal, Kent
SPECTRUM - a group exhibition at One Paved Court Gallery in Richmond, London, curated by Hanna Ten Doornkaat, founder of Whitenoise Projects
50/50 UNIT 1 GALLERY, LONDON, group show, 100 artists age 50+
BBA ONLINE EXHIBITION, Berlin based BBA gallery, selected as one of fifteen international artists
THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME, 475 GALLERY, LONDON, ArtCan sculpture focused group exhibition
LONDON LIGHTHOUSE GALLERY, LONDON CITY ISLAND, Spring Group Show
2023
AD LIB GALLERY, WIMBLEDON VILLAGE, LONDON Exhibited 'Match Play' in a tennis themed exhibition to run alongside the Wimbledon tennis championships.
‘IMAGINATION’ ONLINE INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION, Florence Contemporary Gallery
PLAY AND COMPASSION’ EXHIBITION, Kingshill House, Gloucestershire
SPRING FORWARD GROUP SHOW, AKA Contemporary Gallery, Cambridge
WALK THE LINE, The House of Smalls, Gloucestershire, miniature curated group exhibition ‘in the dollhouse’
FUTURE MEMORIES, South London Women Artists group show, Espacio Gallery, London
2022
RUPTURE EXHIBIT GALLERY, Christmas group show, Hampton Wick
SHAPES, photography exhibition, PH21 Gallery, Barcelona
MINIMAL - SIGNS AND FORMS OF THE ESSENTIAL, LoosenArt photography, Rome
TARPEY OPEN, annual open exhibition at Tarpey Gallery, Castle Donington
FLUX EXHIBITION, curated group show, Greenwich Design District
ABSTRACT:CONTEMPORARY ART OPEN, Surface Gallery, Nottingham
SOUTH LONDON WOMEN ARTISTS, ‘I AM WOMAN, HEAR ME ROAR’, AMP Gallery, London
TEBBS GALLERY EXHIBITION, ‘SPIRITUALITY’, online group exhibition
2021
FLUX EXHIBITION, curated group show, Greenwich Design District
FAIR ART FAIR ‘CURATED 1’, Unit 1 Gallery, London
FRONTEER ART GALLERY, ‘UNITY AND LOCKDOWN’, curated group show, Sheffield
THE FLUX REVIEW V2 EXHIBITION, online exhibition hosted by The FLUX Review
THE ARTIST STORY, ARTISTE CULTURE, online exhibition curated by Artiste Culture
‘SHE ANSWERED ART’, SOUTH LONDON WOMEN ARTISTS, online exhibition curated by Gita Joshi of the Curator’s Salon
‘MOMENTUM’, THE HOLY ART GALLERY, LONDON , curated online exhibition
2012 - 2014
OUTDOOR SCULPTURE EXHIBITION 2014, One Church Street Gallery, Bucks
HANNAH PESCHAR SCULPTURE GARDEN 2012 ‘Garden Optics’ interactive sculpture
Private commissions
2004 - ‘Q’ WINDOW DISPLAY COMMISSION, CONRAN RESTAURANTS LTD, Quaglino's , St James', London
Public commissions
2018 ‘X-CHANGE’, SOUND MINDS WANDSWORTH ARTS FRINGE EVENT, a community engagement installation project focusing on local regeneration and urban development, working in partnership with the mental health arts charity ‘Sound Minds’, Battersea
2016 - WISP WARRIORS PUBLIC ART PROJECT, WANDSWORTH, fundraised and managed project with Wandsworth Interim Schools Project, creating a video installation for the Wandsworth Arts Fringe Festival and temporary public art for Southside shopping centre
2015 - BEATRIX POTTER PRIMARY SCHOOL PLAYGROUND PUBLIC ART , fundraised and managed school print project, supported by printmaker Patricia Finnegan, installing vitreous enamelled multi-panel playground artwork
2015 - ‘STRETCH AND SQUEEZE’ LOVE FESTIVAL COMMISSION, RFH , collaborative temporary installation working with Action Space artist Linda Bell as part of the Summer ‘Love Festival’, Royal Festival Hall, Southbank
2015 - ‘OUT OF PLACE’ WANDSWORTH LIBRARY PUBLIC ART PROJECT , lead artist/fundraiser for ACE funded partnership project with Wandsworth Libraries/GLL: program of community ipad and art engagement/events with interactive ipad trail and temorary public artwork, Balham/Tooting Libraries
2014 - the heART of libraries, WANDSWORTH LIBRARY SERVICES, lead artist for collaborative new technology and art community pilot project
2013 - STEP BEYOND TEMPORARY PUBLIC ART TRAIL, EARLSFIELD, lead artist collaborating with writer Sarah Butler on word art schools project, Wandsworth Arts Festival
2011-13 - SENSE NATIONAL DAY CENTRE COMMISSIONS, deaf blind family focused projects exhibited at ‘Touching Art’, Arts Depot, Barnet and the Free Space Gallery, Kentish Town Health Centre
2010 - ‘NATURAL RHYTHM’, TEDDINGTON HEALTH CENTRE, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
2009 - AMNESTY/UNA COMMISSION, Twickenham, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames
2008 - LEGACY RECOGNITION COMMISSION, SENSE HEAD OFFICE, Kings Cross, London
2007 - HOUSING REDEVELOPMENT COMMISSION, Commissioned by Public Art Wales, Grangetown, Cardiff
2006 - ‘HOT SPOTS’ COMMISSION, London Borough of Richmond upon Thames , Hatherop Park
2005 - FINSBURY PARK SCULPTURE TRAIL, Collaborative public art project commissioned by Action Space, London
2004 - ‘ENCLOSURE’, ‘OUTDOOR HABITATS’ EXHIBITION , MoDA (Museum of Domestic Design and Architecture) , Barnet, London
2004 - RIVERCONE MARKERS COMMISSION, Commissioned by Lea Rivers Trust, Stratford, London
2003 - 'CHIME LINES' - CULTURAL MAPPING RIVERSIDE COMMISSION, Commissioned by Public Art Leicester, Leicester City Council , Leicester
2003 - SOMERFORD GROVE ADVENTURE PLAYGROUND, Play structures commissioned by Haringey Play Association, Tottenham, London
2002 - 'POINT2POINT', SHADWELL BASIN PUBLIC ART COMMISSION, Commissioned by the Lea Rivers Trust, funded by the Pool of London Partnership, Wapping, London
2001 - ‘ARC X 3’, WHITE LION RETAIL PARK COMMISSION, Commissioned by South Bedfordshire District Council in association with Commissions East, Dunstable
2000 - THE NORTH LYNN RINGS COMMISSION, Commissioned by King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Council in association with Commissions East, King's Lynn
1998 - ‘BLUE FOLD’ PUBLIC ART COMMISSION, Commissioned by ‘Heart of Hackney’/Tesco Stores Ltd in association with Michael Aukett Architects, Hackney, London
1995 - WATERWHEEL - ‘UP A CUT 95’, Fundraised to stage event and commission site specific artworks, Nottingham Canalside
Research
2014 - a-n NEW COLLABORATIONS RESEARCH BURSARY, collaborative research project with arts manager, Sheryll Catto and learning disabled Action Space artist, Linda Bell
2004 - ‘COLLABORATIVE PUBLIC ARTWORKS WITH LEARNING DISABLED ARTISTS’ , A research project funded by the Arts Council’s ‘Grants for the Arts’ Scheme, London
Helping Artists Keep Going
Axis is an artist-led charity supporting contemporary visual artists with resources, connection, and visibility.