Ben Malcolmson is a photographer born and based in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Ben works within the parameters of photography, video and sculpture exploring alternative photographic processes with relation to one’s land and identity. His practice further deals with the communication of the landscape, looking at the familiar and psychological complexities of the self with performative-based elements as an undertone. 1
Bio & Career
In 2019, Ben was awarded to be apart of Making Marks by the Arab British Centre, funded by the British Council Kuwait. Making Marks, explored the impact of international working on emerging artists. Ben’s residency to Kuwait was one stage in the Making Marks project. Over several months, Ben worked with Belfast Exposed Gallery on a body of work titled Murmur which was exhibited in the gallery as a solo show during February 2020.
He is a recent graduate from Ulster University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, graduating with a First Class Honours in Bachelor’s of Photography with Video, his previous studies include undertaking his Erasmus studies (2019-20) at The Royal Academy of Art, The Hague in Bachelor’s of Photography.
Ben is a recent recipient of the A-N Bursaries, Time Space Money (2022) and has been additionally supported by the Arts Council Northern Ireland Individuals Emergency Resilience Programme (2020) and 126 Gallery’s Micro-Grant Programme (2021). Ben is a current studio artist based at Flax Artist Studios in the Emerging Artist Programme and was a participant in The Douglas Hyde Gallery, Student Forum 2020/21.
Ben is currently working as an Exhibition Assistant at Belfast Exposed Gallery (Summer 2021 – ). Ben’s relationship has developed over several years with Belfast Exposed Gallery through participating in their Young Futures programme (2015-17), facilitating events for the galleries summer scheme (2016/17/21) as well as a gallery invigilator and events assistant (2017-19). Work from Ben’s most recent project was featured in Belfast Exposed Future Gallery titled Murmur (2020).2
Publications
Appears in
- 2021, The Tangerine
- 2021, Sam’s Eden, Catalyst Arts,
- 2021, And, if we observe the present, Catalyst Arts,
Awards and honours
- 2022, A-N Bursaries, Time Space Money, England
- 2021, Fotomuseum Winterthur, Pla(t)form, Switzerland (Nomination)
- 2021, Chennai Photo Biennale, India (Nomination)
- 2021, 126 Gallery, Micro-Grant Programme, Ireland
- 2020, The Douglas Hyde Gallery, Student Forum, Ireland
- 2020, Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Individuals Emergency Resilience Programme (IERP), Northern Ireland
- 2018, Ulster University, Deans List, Northern Ireland
Exhibitions
Solo exhibitions
- 2020, Murmur, Belfast Exposed, Belfast, NI
Group exhibitions
- 2022, you breathe differently down here, Draíocht, Dublin, IRL
- 2021, Belfast City Hall, Lord Mayor’s Parlour, Belfast, NI
- 2021, Rendering New Realities: Access & Alterity, The Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin, IRL
- 2021, And, if we observe the present, Catalyst Arts x Belfast Photo Festival, Belfast, NI
- 2020, Business as Usual, Bow Street Mall, Lisburn, NI
- 2020, Speak It Now Eat It, Accidental Theatre, Belfast, NI
- 2020, Generation Z, Museum Belvédère,Heerenveen, NL
- 2019, The Collective, Belfast Exposed, Belfast, NI
- 2018, Translink’s Connections, Victoria Square, Belfast, NI
External links & References
- “Bio” Ben Malcolmson https://benmalcolmson.co.uk/
- “Bio” Ben Malcolmson https://benmalcolmson.co.uk/