Statement:
My practice is grounded conceptually in biology, archaeology, and epistemology. I create multi-sensory installations and sculptures which explore the intersection between Nature, Science, and Archaic Magick through materials such as resin, bronze, wool and found forest objects. Collecting sounds and materials directly from nature triggered the realisation that nature and organic matter were both my subject and sculpting material. I specialise in creating handmade pigments from flowers, berries, and mushrooms, which I then use to dye the wool for my sculptures. In recent years, I have also developed my wool sculpting technique, which I call “pressure stitching without using thread.”
My work is part of the Ecological Art genre which has evolved from movements including Environmental Art, Land Art, and the 1960s and 1970s ideas of Deep Ecology. My concerns around connectivity and reconstruction were shared particularly by Richard Long and continue to be shared by contemporary artists Olafur Eliasson and Katie Paterson. My objective is always to open debates around the power that science has in moulding our interaction with nature and our understanding of the world.
I am inspired by past academic research such as Martin Kemp’s concept of “every act of looking is an active act of interpretation” and present research into fungi and the mycelium networks. My exploration into ways of representing nature - through colour, smell, sound and touch - has resulted in multi-sensory installations. The audience transforms into participants, and through their engagement of a specific sense, they are guided towards a more conscientious and intimate encounter.
Bio:
Born in 1998, Lea Rose Kara is originally from Kyiv, Ukraine, and now lives in London, UK . Lea’s practice is grounded conceptually in biology, archaeology, and epistemology. She creates sculptural works which explore themes of Ecology and the manipulation of nature through materials such as resin, bronze, wool, and found forest objects.
Before completing her Masters in Sculpture at the Royal College of Art (2022), Lea received a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from Bath Spa University (2020) and a Foundation Diploma in Art & Design from City and Guilds of London Art School (2017). Lea has completed residencies at Porthleven in Cornwall (2019) where she was a Prize Winner, the Freud Museum London in 2021, and the Standpoint Gallery, London in 2022. She has received multiple awards that allowed her to spend summers living in Italy working with artists specialising in glass, printmaking, and sculpting. In 2018 the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association supported her in a mentorship with acclaimed British sculptor Julian Wild. Lea has exhibited nationally and internationally in both solo and group shows including 'In Between' at RuptureXIBIT, London (solo), 'MIXTAPE' at Pi Artworks gallery, London and 'Brighten up the Night' at the Yuan Art Museum in China.
CV:
Education
2020 - 2022 MA Sculpture, Royal College of Art (Thesis Distinction).
2017 - 2020 BA (Hons) Fine Art , Bath Spa University (1st Class).
2017 - 2020 International Global Citizenship Certificate, Bath Spa University.
2016 - 2017 Foundation Diploma in Art & Design, City and Guilds of London Art School (Distinction).
Solo Shows
2022 'In Between', curated by Alexa Chow, RuptureXIBIT Gallery, London, UK.
Duo Shows
2023 'Nebulous Realms', Lea Rose Kara and Studio Cosmograph, curated by Blue Nude, Hackney Downs Gallery,London, UK.
Museum Shows
2021 'Brighten up the Night', (Group Show), curated by Zhixun Ye, Yuan Art Museum, Hangzhou, China.
2021 - 2022 'I object', (Group Show), Freud Museum London, Virtual Exhibition.
Selected Group Exhibitions
2025 'InterAct', curated by Zoe Goetzmann and Melissa Topal, Hypha Studios (Camberwell), London, UK.
2024-25 'Enrooting', Mandy Zhang Art gallery, London, UK.
2024 'Mixtape', Pi Artworks Gallery, London, UK.
2024 'Within and Without', curated by Anna Moss, Liliya Art Gallery, London, UK.
2024 'Unveiling Abstractions', curated by Zoe Goetzmann and Melissa Topal, Hypha Studios (Euston Tower), London, UK
2023 'Creation - Dawn - Inception', curated by C.LAB, Copeland Gallery, London, UK.
2023 '20 x 20 Vision', Blue House Yard, London, UK.
2022 'Absurd', OHSH Projects, London, UK.
2022 'Rough and Smooth', The Corn Exchange, Leeds, UK.
2022 'Royal College of Art Degree Show', Royal College of Art Battersea South Campus, London, UK.
2022 'Lapped Seams and Silver Linings’, Standpoint Gallery, London, UK.
2022 ‘We Won’t Stop Showing’, Set Woolwich, London, UK.
2022 'Enchant’, John Hughes Art Festival 2022, Jesus College, Cambridge University, UK.
2021 'Naturisms', curated by Ron Ziser, 399 Hornsey Road Gallery, London, UK.
2021 'Art for Artists', ArtSect Gallery, London, UK.
2021 'Star Start 2: International Young Artists Exhibition', curated by Zhixun Ye, Rear Window Gallery, Hangzhou, China.
2021 'The Running Water Takes Me To A Farther Lake’, curated by Zhixun Ye, Meisyakan Gallery, Ningbo, China.
2021 'Interior, Exterior', curated by Emily Kraus and Pia Ortuno , Sala Salon,London, UK.
2021 'To Continue', curated by Poppy Clover, Bargehouse - OXO Tower Wharf, London, UK.
2021 'First Impressions', curated by Matilde Silva Fry and Liza Burton, Maverick Projects Space - Safehouse, London,UK.
2021 'Cardboard Conversations', curated by Lydia Brockless and Millie Laing-Tate, MERZ Gallery, Scotland.
2021 'RCA WiP 2021', RCA Platform, Virtual Exhibition.
2020 - 2021 '36th Annual Open Exhibition', Southwark Park Galleries,Virtual Exhibition.
2020 - 2021 'Digital Art Exhibition', Hammersmith and Fulham Arts Festival, Virtual Exhibition.
2020 'New Realities', New Realities Platform, Virtual Exhibition.
2020 'The Social Distance Art Project', TSDAP, Virtual Exhibition.
2020 'No Show', (Graduation show), Bath Spa University, Virtual Exhibition.
2020 'In The Offing', curated by Poppy Clover, The Boathouse, Porthleven, UK.
2019 'In The Offing', curated by Poppy Clover, The Gallery, Bath Spa University, Bath, UK.
2019 'Made By Them', Bath Spa University, Bath, UK.
2019 'Sleepwalkers Art Collective', ICE Artist Studio and Black Chalk, Bath, UK. In collaboration with PALAVR.
2019 'Time Was', Walcot Chapel, Bath, UK.
2018 'Phase 1', St Paul’s Church Southville, Bristol, UK.
2017 The Sculpture Park, curated by Eddie Powell, Farnham, UK.
2017 'B.A.D Futures', Walcot Chapel, Bath, UK.
2017 Foundation Show, City and Guilds of London Art School, London, UK.
Talks
2025 Spoke at a Symposium:'Under the Spotlight: Contemporary Art and Critical Perspectives in Review' on the panel titled: 'Distilling Reality: Artists as Alchemists', The Courtauld Institute of Art, London, UK.
2025 Gave a public artist talk, Hypha Studios Gallery, London, UK
2024 Gave a public artist talk, Mandy Zhang Art gallery, London, UK.
2024 Gave a public artist talk, Pi Artworks gallery, London, UK.
2024 Gave a public artist talk, Liliya Art Gallery, London, UK.
2024 Gave two public artist talks, Hypha Studios Gallery, London, UK
Curatorial Projects and Mentorships
2023 Collaborated on the 'Conceptual Dinner' event, London, UK.
2022 Visiting Lecturer for a day at the University for the Creative Art, Farnham, UK.
2021 Organised and curated 'Art for Artists' event featuring 27 artists, sponsored and hosted by ArtSect Gallery, London, UK.
2021 Collaborated with the Chelsea Physic Garden for the making of 'Hybrids' in the greenhouses, London, UK.
2021 Co-led 'Deep Ecology and the Sublime' AcrossRCA Workshop, London, UK.
2021 Gave a public artist lecture, Yuan Art Museum, Hangzhou, China.
2018 - 2020 Mentored by Gallerist Sandra Le Merchant, Bath, UK.
2018 - 2019 Mentored by Sculptor Matteo Lo Greco, Venice, Italy.
2019 Studio Assistant for Sculptor Marisa Albanese, Naples, Italy.
2019 Writer for Assemblage Magazine, London, UK.
2018 Curated and Designed Bath Spa University’s UCAS stand, Bath, UK.
2018 Mentored by Sculptor Julian Wild, Sussex, UK.
2018 Mentored by Glass Artist Moulaye Niang, Venice, Italy.
2018 Apprenticeship with Printmaker Roberto Mazzetto, Venice, Italy.
Residencies
2022 'Pick, stitch, vent and pound' at Standpoint Gallery, London.
2021 'I object' at the Freud Museum, London.
2019 'Provenance', The Porthleven Prize , Cornwall (Awarded the 2019 Prize Winner).
Commissions and Public Art Projects
2023 Blue Nude x Lea Rose Kara fashion collaboration for the FW23 collection.
Awards and Prizes
2022 Shortlisted for the Harlow Sculpture Town Artist in Residence Award
2019 International Travel Fund
2019 Porthleven Prize Winner
2018 Bath Spa Outward Mobility Award
2018 Bath Spa Global Citizenship Funding
2018 Public Monuments and Sculpture Association 3rd Dimension Mentoring Funding
Press and Publications
'Within and Without' by Michalinaxart for Art Hub Magazine,2024
'2024 - Issue 98', by London Art Roundup, 2024.
'Art World Insiders: Darren - London Art Roundup', by Sophie Nowakowska, 2024
'Issue 56 - Showcasing artists and works that caught my attention' , by London Art Roundup, 2023.
'Absurd/What does it All Mean?' by Meike Brunkhorst, FAD Magazine, 2022.
‘RCA Graduate Show’, by London Art Roundup, 2022.
'New Graduates: 2020 Edition', The Social Distance Art Project, Issue 1, 2021.
'Culinary Forensics Kitchen: RCA Sculpture Department', The Center For Genomic Gastronomy, 2021.
'Nature' , Eclectic Magazine, Issue 3, 2020.
'Newsletter', The Social Distance Art Project, August, 2020
'A Shed of her Own: Carving Out Creative Space', Roots + Wings: The Women's Guide to Living Authentically , Issue 2, Summer 2020.
'Lulu’s Art Talk Podcast: Lea Rose Kara', by Lucrezia Di Canio, 2020.
'PMSA launches Mentoring Scheme', Public Monuments and Sculpture Association Magazine and Newsletter, 2019.
'Time Was', Spa Life Magazine, Spring 2019.
'And It's Show Time', 3rd Dimension: Public Monuments and Sculpture Association Magazine and Newsletter, 2017.
Public Collections:
The Sculpture Park, Farnham, UK.
Artworks are in private collections in Canada, UK, Switzerland, Germany, Mexico and China.