Mentor Profile: Harriet Bowman on materials and processes (human and machine)

We provide monthly opportunities for our Professional Members to have one to one discussions with experts in the visual arts about their practice and development aspirations. We asked one of our mentors, artist Harriet Bowman, about her interests and what type of support she can offer.

What do you enjoy about offering Axis members critical friend conversations?

It is such a pleasure to meet with people and talk about practice - surely it's one of the best things we get to do as artists.

Are there particular areas relating to the visual arts profession that you feel
you could help with as a mentor?

I guess I spend a lot of time thinking about materials / material processes and who (both human and machine) are involved in these processes. As well as this I am interested in writing practices and how they might exist (alongside) or entangled in a sculptural practice

Would you like to share a few things you are working on right now, or anything
you have coming up?

I am currently working with East Side Projects as their incidental artist - this project is taking me on a deep dive into Birmingham's tyre industry, development of rubber technology and stunt drivers.

Harriet Bowman can offer support in the following areas: Art Writing, Sculpture, Material Research, Application Writing

Harriet is a multidisciplinary artist born in North Devon and currently living and working in Bristol with a studio at Spike Island. Recent solo exhibitions include: Solo Exhibitions ‘Taking Care of the Yolk’, MIRROR Plymouth, Plymouth, 2024; ‘Maybe they had an urgent call’ (touring) Exeter Phoenix, Exeter, 2023.

Recent awards and residencies include: Winner of the The Mark Tanner Sculpture Award, 2024, The Cornwall Workshop, Residency led by Mike Nelson at CAST & Kestle Barton, 2024; Awarded the South West Showcase, 2023/24; Henry Moore Foundation Artist Award, 2023 AXIS Fellowship Award, 2023-24.  

Read more about Harriet’s practice >here