Molly Thomson

Molly was a Senior Lecturer in Painting for three years, at Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Oxford University and a Visiting Lecturer, at Cleveland Institute of Art, Ohio, USA.

Modest in scale, although powerful in presence, Molly's paintings remind the viewer of their material origin. Formed by the process that shapes them, they're resolved against expectation, following their own aesthetic rules, without allusion or reference to other art. Perfect in their imperfections.
Molly was a well-respected lecturer at Norwich University of the Arts for nearly two decades and has exhibited widely throughout the UK from Scotland, Wales, Devon, Cornwall and Yorkshire to Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex. Her work has also been seen in Japan, USA, Holland, Germany, Australia and Poland.

 

SPECIALIST EDUCATION

Born in Perth, Scotland. Lives and works near Norwich

MA (Painting) - Royal College of Art, London
Diploma in Post-Graduate studies (Sculpture) - Edinburgh College of Art
MA Fine Art (Sculpture) - Edinburgh University and College of Art

 

EXHIBITIONS
2021        

ROCK PAPER SCISSORS, Houghton Hall, Norfolk (Contemporary and Country)

Que des femmes. 6th Biennial of Non-Objective Art, Pont de Claix, France
Weathering, Yare Gallery, Great Yarmouth      
Perceiving Anomalies, Yellow Archangel, General Practice, Lincoln
Orbit, Poimena Gallery, Launceston, Tasmania
2020      

A FINE BALANCE, Houghton Hall, Norfolk (Contemporary and Country)

Vitalistic Fantasies, Contemporary British Painting, The Cello Factory, London
Image_Object, Poimena Gallery, Mona Foma festival, Launceston
2019        

neo:artprize, Bolton Art Gallery, Bolton
Exeter Contemporary Open, Exeter Phoenix gallery, Exeter
Creekside Open 2019, APT Gallery, London
The End of Lines, X Marks the Spot, Great Yarmouth 
Contemporary British Painting, Norwich Cathedral
"Made in Britain" Contemporary British Painting, National Museum, Gdansk Poland
4-person exhibition, Gray Contemporary, Houston, Texas
2018        

Artworks Open 2018, Barbican Arts Group Trust, London
Beep Painting Biennial, Swansea
2017

Contemporary British Painting Prize, The Stables Gallery, Orleans House, Richmond Museum, London
This Year’s Model ‘17, Studio 1.1, London
2016        

Plenty of time to lose your balance, Nunn’s Yard Gallery, Norwich
PING, Paint Club East members’ show, The Minories, Colchester
2014        

Of Other Spaces, Sheffield Institute of Arts Gallery, Sheffield Hallam University
Recent Works, Thirteen A Gallery, Norwich (solo exhibition)        
2012        

Regrouping, Bend In The River Gallery, Workstation, Sheffield
2011        

Exeter Contemporary Open, Exeter Phoenix, Exeter
2010        

We Are What We Do, Stew Gallery, Norwich, UK
2009        

Locus, Visions Gallery, Tokyo, Japan (solo exhibition)
2008        

Digital Eyes 2008-2009, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, USA
2007        

Siggraph 2007, Global Eyes, San Diego, USA
2006        

Unsern Nachbarn, Haus Metternich, Koblenz, Germany
Proof, Howard Gardens Gallery, Cardiff, Wales
2005        

V9-U9 Project. Print Portfolio (India/UK)
2002        

On the Edge, Salthouse, Norfolk
2000        

Connections, John Innes Centre, Norwich
Drawing Connections, Beach Museum, Kansas, USA
1999        

Vauxhall Gardens, Norwich Gallery
1998        

Inscription, Norwich Gallery (solo exhibition)
1997        

Recent Paintings, St David’s Hall, Cardiff, Wales (solo exhibition)
1996        

Weatherview, Koninklijke Academie van Beeldende Kunsten, The Hague
1995        

Group show, Castle Museum, Norwich
1994        

Castle Museum, Norwich (Group)
1993        

Castle Museum, Norwich (Group)
1991        

Gracefield Arts Centre, Dumfries (Group)
1990        

Seagate Gallery, Dundee (Group)
1989        

Edinburgh College of Art (Group)
1988        

Kirkaldy Art Gallery, Scotland (solo exhibition)
Laing Museum, Newburgh, Scotland (solo exhibition)
1986        

Hollywood Gallery, London (Group)
1984        

Falmouth College of Art (Group)
1983        

Pick of Graduate Art, Christie’s, London
1980        

Aspects of Abstraction, 369 Gallery, Edinburgh

RESIDENCIES
2011         5-day residency at Orford Ness, Suffolk
2009         2-week residency at Asabi School of Art, Tokyo

AWARDS
1983         John Minton Award, Royal College of Art
1982         Katherine Pakenham Award for Young Women Writers
1978         Andrew Grant Travelling Scholarship

TEACHING
'91-2010  Senior Lecturer in Fine Art, Norwich University College of the Arts
'87-91       Senior Lecturer in Painting, Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art,
                  Oxford University
1990         Visiting Lecturer, Cleveland Institute of Art, Ohio, USA
'86-90      Tutor in Painting, Swindon College
'83-85      Lecturer in Painting, Falmouth College of Art

 

OTHER
2017        ‘Mary Heilmann: Looking at Pictures’, review in Journal of
                Contemporary Painting (issue 4.1)
2017       Guest-editor (with Barbara Howey) of Journal of Contemporary
                Painting  (issue 3.1&2: Painting As Commitment)

2012       Founder member of Paint Club East  (until 2016)