About

Paul Wakelam’s career began in architecture and he commenced a two year Fine Art MA in September 2022 concurrently with his work as an architect. His artwork is in contrast to the precision of architectural drawing being based around the use of charcoal & graphite, collage and printmaking.

 

Wakelam’s practice explores his connectedness with landscape; this is an evolving method of exploring himself and his response to unstructured natural spaces. 

 

The genesis for much of his work has been walking; the physicality of walking helps to evoke a state of mind and a relationship to the landscape. Walks are often repeated and through repetition changes occur, traces are left which develop into works.

 

Drawings become an act of expressing on paper the textures, shapes and lines that create background noise in the mind, memories of place.

 

Emerging within his work is a particular focus on the implements of making a mark, highlighting the role that objects play within the making process –a dialogue with something taken from the landscape and a collaboration with the materials.

 

Objects and/or tools aren’t passive but have agency in the making process, the paper takes a critical position as the holder, or archivist of the drawing in time and place. 

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This has become particularly relevant with his creation of fragile works where applied material may fall away leaving traces + fragments on and in the substrate.

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Paul is a member of 

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Creative Development

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04.11.2023                              Exploring   Charcoal - Walking, Making, Drawing - Lotte Scott

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03.11.2023                              What is Drawing Research? - UWE/BCU Drawing Symposium

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26.09.2023                            Making Natural Inks & Dyes - Andrew Howe wokshop

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17.08.2023                               Hedgerows & Cyanotypes - Andrew Howe workshop

 

12.07.2023                               Drawing Breath - Tania Kovats - online workshop

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2022 -  2023                           Exploring Large Scale Drawing monthly workshops – Sarah Goudie /General Office 

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03.2022                                    STARTS Workshop – Judy Woods Art online course

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 10.2021                                     Making Your Mark – Liz Ackerley – online course

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09.2021                                     Planographic Printmaking – Draw Brighton – online course

 

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Exhibitions

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11.01.2024 - 10.02.2024          Friends Exhibition - RBSA, Birmingham

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04.06.2023 - 18.06.2023      Summer Show - General Office, Stourbridge

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10.2021                                      Round Lemon Kitchen Gallery, The Hive, Moseley, Birmingham

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03.2021                                     Correspondence Collective / Clayhill Arts ‘Restriction’ exhibition

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Teaching

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03.2022                                    Guest tutor at BSoAD delivering a charcoal drawing workshop to architecture, interiors                                                     and landscape design students

   

2010 – 2020                             Visiting Tutor – BSoAD 

 

 

Words                              Website article / interview by Dartmoor Collective here