Profile

Sumi Perera is an interdisciplinary artist who draws upon her status as a bimodal émigré [UK & Sri Lanka] working as a doctor, scientist and artist.

She combines traditional printmaking methods with contemporary techniques (computer numerical controlled methods: laser cutting/engraving; sandblasting etc.) often harnessing stitch to form mixed-media assemblages. Sometimes electro-conductive inks/threads, Arduino circuits are incorporated to produce audiovisual effects.

The work often explores how the body navigates through the built environment. For her, process and evolution of the work is as important as the finished product and often contain selected elements of each stage to form the next in the series to create variations on the theme.

She has undertaken several residencies: Central Academy of Fine Art, Beijing, China 2007 where she curated an exhibition touring to 12 venues. She was the artist-in-residence for the National Open Art 2016, and the first recipient of the RE Full Fellowship & Solo Show at the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica, Venice.

Selected Prizes/Awards: Best in Show-DRAW 2016, UK; Prix de Print, Art in Print USA 2015; Flourish Award (Printmaker of the Year) 2015, Laurence King Publishers Award 2015; multiple awards at Society of Bookbinders International Competition & Conferences, 2009 & 2016; Southern Cross University Acquisitive Artistbook Award, NSW, Australia 2009; 1st prize at SHELTER Boston, Massachusetts USA 2008; 1st Prize/Gold medal-International Bookarts Competition, Seoul, Korea 2005; Birgit Skiold Award-Excellence in Bookarts, LAB 05 ICA, London; Kaleidoscope Hoffmann Challenge, National Quilt Championships 2001.

Selected Public Collections: Tate Britain (8); Victoria & Albert Museum, London (10); Yale Centre for British Art, USA (2); British Library; Ashmolean Museum, Oxford; printROOM at Rotterdam; Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery; Grafisk Vaerksted-Naestaved, Denmark; Guanlan Museum in China; the Sakima Art Museum, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan; Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Permanent Art Collection, Alexandria, Egypt; Iraq National Library, Baghdad

National Taiwan Museum of Fine Arts, R.O.C.; Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library, Kansas, USA; Centre for Artist Books, Visual Research Centre, DCA, Dundee; ULUS Print Triennial Collection, Belgrade, Serbia; DFEWA Collection, Satu Mare, Romania; Southern Cross University Collection, NSW, Australia; Lafayette College Collection, USA; & many British University artist book collections.