Helen Ward English
Helen Ward is an artist and designer from Bristol, who is best known for her intricate Paper Entomology artwork. Her work takes inspiration from antique collections of butterflies and insects.
Helen began her creative career working as both a traditional bookbinder and as a paper engineer designing and making pop-up books. She started collecting antique papers during this time and now has an extensive collection of hand marbled papers. Most of these date back to Victorian times, but some are even older. Each different paper is entirely unique and has been made using traditional methods. Many of the red pigments used have been made from crushed beetle shells.
Each individual piece of paper in Helen's work has been carefully cut and pinned into place with enamel entomology pins. Some works also have additional embellishment with leaf metals.
Helen currently shows her work across the UK and has exhibited in cities around the world including Paris, Brussels, New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong. Her work has been shown at the V&A Museum and has been commissioned as the prizes for the Observer Ethical Awards.
Collectors of Helen's work include the Swedish Royal Family, the Thai Royal Family and British designer and presenter of Grand Designs, Kevin McCloud.
Helen Ward is is represented exclusively in St Ives and Cornwall by the Porthminster Gallery.
Helen Ward biography
Education
2001 BA (Hons) Degree in Graphic Design, University of West of England
Exhibitions
2017 ‘Ten Years On: Showing Off’, Porthminster Gallery, St Ives, Cornwall
2016 Porthminster Gallery, St Ives, Cornwall
Sarah Wiseman Gallery, Oxford
Foss Fine Art, London
Byard Art, Cambridge
2014 White Space, Totnes
Byard Art, Cambridge
2013 White Space, Totnes
Byard Art, Cambridge
Sarah Wiseman Gallery, Oxford
The Lyndhurst Gallery, Hampshire
The Cube Gallery, Bristol
2012 The Cube Gallery, Marylebone, London
The Cube Gallery, Bristol
Sarah Wiseman Gallery, Oxford
Covet and Collect, Hampshire
Byard Art, Cambridge
2011 The Cube Gallery, Marylebone, London
The Cube Gallery, Bristol
Sarah Wiseman Gallery, Oxford
2010 'Christmas Cracker', Byard Art, Cambridge
The Cube Gallery, Bristol
The Cube Gallery, Marylebone, London
Edinburgh Arts Fair, Scotland
Art Toronto, Toronto, Canada
Affordable Art Fair, Battersea Park, London
Affordable Art Fair, Hampstead Heath, London
Affordable Art Fair, New York
Affordable Art Fair, Bristol
Affordable Art Fair, Brussels
ArtHamptons, The Hamptons, New York
'Observer Ethical Awards 2011', Victoria & Albert Museum, London
'Wild at Heart', Sarah Wiseman Gallery, Oxford
Art Chicago, Chicago
Chelsea Art Fair, London
20|21 International Art Fair, London
Brownston Gallery, Modbury, Devon
2009 Edinburgh Arts Fair, Scotland
Affordable Art Fair, Amsterdam
Affordable Art Fair, London
'10x10', Byard Art, Cambridge
2009 The Cube Gallery, Bristol
Affordable Art Fair, New York
'Paperworks 3', Bury Art Museum
Cambridge Art Fair, Cambridge
Affordable Art Fair, Paris
Affordable Art Fair, Bristol
Chelsea Art Fair, London
'Papercuts', Rostra Gallery, Bath
2008 The Cube Gallery, Bristol
Affordable Art Fair, Amsterdam
Affordable Art Fair, London
Brownston Gallery, Modbury, Devon
'Nature's Way', The Grant Bradley Gallery, Bristol
'3', Square, Bristol
Fireworks Gallery, Bristol
Press
2017 Cornwall Today, March issue (‘Ten Years On: Showing Off’,
Porthminster Gallery, St Ives
2016 Cornwall Life, December issue
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HELEN WARD: PAPER ENTOMOLOGY
18 May - 24 Aug 2019This new collection of startlingly eye-catching 'paper entomology' artworks by Bristol-based artist Helen Ward is inspired by her collection of rare Victorian hand-marbled papers, which she uses to create incredibly...Read more -
ST IVES SUMMER SHOW: 12
18 May - 24 Aug 2019Porthminster Gallery in St Ives hosts its summer exhibition of coastal landscape and sea inspired paintings and ceramics by gallery artists Nick Bodimeade, Jenny Hirst, Freya Horsley, Joanne Last, Martyn Perryman, Sarah Perry, Geoffrey Swindell and Jane Muende.Read more -
TEN YEARS ON: SHOWING OFF
25 Mar - 6 May 2017To celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Porthminster Gallery in St Ives, ‘Ten Years On: Showing Off’ is a unique exhibition showcasing eight artists new to the gallery, alongside gallery...Read more -
Winter Showcase
11 Feb - 18 Mar 2017Winter is still here in St Ives and as thoughts turn again to cosy nights-in, our lovingly crafted wonderful winter showcase of beautiful luxury handmade works of art will help...Read more