Biography

ABOUT

Olivia Hicks (b1971, Kent, UK) is a London and Lisbon based visual artist, lecturer in Fine Art, art educator and curator of the Rented by the hour art exhibitions. Since graduating from the Royal College of Art in Fine Art Printmaking in 2010 she has appeared in numerous exhibitions including The Derwent Art Prize, The Trinity Buoy Wharf drawing Prize, The Mann group drawing show, The Cob gallery and The RWA where she won The institute of Directors prize. She has also lectured at The Ruskin School of Art and The Croydon School of Art. Her practice and research is focused on the relationships between drawing, painting, sculpture, collage and print and often draws from architectural theory and the natural world to explore the permeabilities between the body, complex emotional states and architectural and transient spaces

Upcoming Exhibitions

Solo Exhibition – Lisbon 2025

Shadow/Sombra – Group Show of International Artists – Forum Grandela, Lisbon Jan 24th – Feb 21st 2025

Studio Residency October 2024 at Atelier Arteria, Lisbon

Wells Art Contemporary – August 2024

Textile Open – No Format Gallery – July 2024

June 27th – July 1st 2024 Ruthin International Arts Festival – June 2024 Blood, Water, Honey and Wine (Drawing performance in the landscape)https://ruthinartsfest.org/live

Summer is a-cumin in! – Tadhg Mae Projects – Hastings – 4 May/June 2024 running alongside Hastings Jack in the Green Festival.

The Entranced Essence – Rupture Exhibit – London April/May 2024

Pop up Shop – Kingston Artists Open Studios-  at Fusebox, Creative Youth  London

SFSA Drawing Open – Deptford May 2024

Uncontrollable Beasts – Rented by the Hour online show March 2024

December 1st – January 6th 2024- The Dreaming – WIA Gallery Winter Open Exhibition, Lewes, UK

October 2023 -We are the Witches – online show – Phantasmal Gallery

November 2023 – Open Studio – Saturday/Sunday November 25th and 26th 1-6pm (or by appointment beforehand)

2023 – Shortlisted artist – Dreams and Visions art Competition – The College of Psychic studies – film of the virtual art exhibition released Jan 2023

Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize 2022 – touring exhibition- (currently at The Art House, Jersey)

September 2022 – IMPACT 12 – The Printmakers Garden – Centre for Fine Print Research – UWE Bristol

Muse – Art and Performance – Candid Arts Gallery 20 – 24th July 2022

2022 – The Divided Self – online group show on Instagram @rentedbythehour of contemporary portraiture

Royal Cambrian Academy Open exhibition 2022, Conwy, Wales – opening Jan 8th 2022

2021 –  Touch Wood -The Artspace, Clarence St, Kingston upon Thames.  27th July – 7 August.

2021-  Oak and Ash and Thorn – Wild Harvest – launching on Summer Solstice  21st – 24th June – online group show, facebook (pagan and nature)

2021 – The Virtual Art Fair – online Art Fair launching 1pm May 1st

2021 – Lockdown Sketchbook – online project on the @rentedbythehour Instagram platform featuring selected artists -on going project beginning in February 2021

2020-  Home Sweet Home (online group show Rented by the Hour programme)

2019 – Printabilities – Contemporary print- Marlborough College, Wiltshire

2018 – Printabilities – Contemporary print- . St Georges Print room Gallery, Cologne

2018 -RCA Secret Postcards, RCA London

2018 – 40 Years of Printmaking Oxford Printmakers, Cloister Gallery, Oxford.

2017 – Art 4 Grenfell- Charity auction – London

2017 – Secret postcards RCA- London and Dubai

2016 – Secret postcards RCA- London and Dubai

2016 – On paper festival – Norwich

December 5th- 6th 2014 –  The Last Breath – Clearlake Hotel, Kensington (part of the Rented by the hour curation programme)  www.rentedbythehour.blogspot.com

November  2014  – This Has Nothing To Do With Politics – Function room, London. In association with The Centre for Performance and Creative Exchange and Dept of Drama, Theatre and Performance, University of Roehampton.

Selected shows;

March 2014 – Stewarts Law, RCA Battersea.

Dec  – Jan 11 2014 – Charlie Dutton Crash Open Salon (selected by Phillip Allen, Neal Tait and Martin Coomer)

November 2013 – Land of Hope and Inequality – Blundell St Studios, Kings Cross Nov 21 – Nov 24, London

2013 – Infinitum – The Gallery@ Natalie Galustian Rare books, London

2013 – Derwent Art Prize, Mall Galleries

2013 – ArtStart Home project, New York

May – June 2012 Sex and Death – Guts for Garters, 20 Earlham St, Covent Garden

April 2012 – A place called home – Rented by the hour Clearlake Hotel, Kensington

Nov 2011- RCA Secret

Nov 23- Dec 23 2011- Anatomy – Guts for Garters , Cob Gallery, Camden
4 Nov-16 Dec 2011- Print and Design now- Bearspace, Deptford
2011 – Print and design now- SW1 Gallery
2011 – Photomedia- Charlie Dutton Gallery
2011 – Art Car boot sale -Brick Lane
2011 – Surreal Women- Guts for Garters
2011  Afternoon Tea – Venice Biennale
2011 The Royal We- Guts for Garters and Cob Gallery
2010 Body in Parts- Cob Gallery
2010 Albion show- Norman Foster building
2010 Roll Up- Jealous Gallery
28 May-6 June 2010 Show One – Royal College of Art
Mar 2010. Man Group Drawing Show, RCA London
Feb 2010. -Park View Situ- Cafe Gallery projects, London
Jan 2010. Apartment 21, Kensington
2009. RCA Secret
2009. Man Group Drawing Show, RCA London
2009. Space Reverie -Cafe Gallery projects, London
2009. John Norris Wood Natural Forms Drawing Show
2009. BOOM, Royal College of Art
2008. RCA Secret
2008. Modern Art Oxford
2006. Urban Ecologies of Hope (British Art Show, commissioned essay for Situations)

AWARDS

2024   People’s Choice Award – WIA Gallery
2010. Distinction, MA thesis, Royal College of Art
2009. Runner up, John Norris Wood Natural Forms Drawing Prize
2004. Institute of Directors Prize, Royal West of England Academy

TEACHING AND LECTURING

2018 – Croydon School of Art -BA Hons Fine Art

2014-16 LISC International School, London

2010 The Ruskin School of Art, University of Oxford – BA Hons Fine Art

Ongoing private tuition and Art workshop facilitator for International and home students at  www.oliviaarteducation.com

COLLECTIONS
Private Collections in UK, USA, The Philippines and the Caribbean

PUBLIC COMMISSIONS
2005. Victoria and Albert Museum