Lee Palmer
Franco-British artist, based in London. I'm interested in the materiality of movements found in the natural world and turning that into organically opulent designs. Primarily working in woodcarvings and ceramics.
Very simply said, I’m obsessed with beauty. I want to find and express the things that I find beautiful in the world around me, whilst having a fascination with the history and processes found within traditional crafts such as wood carving and ceramics.
Currently this has manifested through an exploration into oysters: Inspired by childhood holidays on the coast and beach-combing trips, I’ve been examining how the apparently hard-edged objects are actually a collection of sinuous water shaped curved, weaving in and out of themselves as a group of oysters fight to grow and take space.
The shells are marks of a life lived on a completely different realm to ours, a history ok the beach that occurs beyond our knowledge. The only way that we are impartial to any of it is to find the skeletons on the beach of an untold and unknowable story.
Exhibitions:
Trail Mix, Strange field, Glasgow, 2025
Newcastle University Degree Show, Hatton Gallery, 2025
Newcastle University Interim Show, XL Gallery Newcastle, 2024
Newcastle University Fine Art Auction, XL Gallery, 2024
Newcastle University Fine Art Auction, XL Gallery, 2023
Split Ends, The Late Night Shows, The Newbridge Project, 2022
101, 36 Lime Street, 2022
Working Experience:
Technician for Kara Chin in preparation of her work for the Liverpool Biennale 2024-2025
One of the Lead organisers for the Newcastle University Fine Art Auction 2024
Facilitator for a Printing Workshop at the Stranraer Oyster Festival 2024
Technical Assistant for Newcastle University Degree Show 2024
INTO University sustainable making workshop facilitator
Lead Curator for Newcastle University's Late Night Shows exhibition at the Newbridge Project 2022
Awards and Residencies:
2025- Two week long residency with Master Stone Carver in Galicia; focusing on kiln building and woodcarving.
2024- One month long residency with Master Stone Carver in Galicia; focusing on woodcarving and glasswork
2024- Bartlett Sustainability Award Winner
2023- Two week long residency with Master Stone Carver Paul Lewis in Galicia, facilitated by Newcastle University.
2022- Week long residency at Allenhead Contemporary Arts
Education:
Art and Design Foundation at Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London 2020-2021
BA in Fine Art at Newcastle University 2021-2025