Sara Berman (b. 1975, UK) lives and works in London. She studied fashion BA at Central Saint Martins in the 1990’s and worked in fashion before studying for her MFA at Slade UCL graduating in 2016. Working with the trope of the Harlequin as Trickster Whore, Berman examiners the societal constructs of the female experience. She radicalises the historically female domain of portraiture. In painting herself, Berman refutes the male gaze and objectification of women. The figures are often defiant and Berman’s gentle muted aesthetic is fraught with contrapuntal layers, the canvas appears almost bruised; the visceral and corporeal juxtaposed with a delicacy and fluidity of line and movement. Berman’s work uses its very appeal to defy expectation: a violent transgression within beauty.
Solo Exhibitions include (Upcoming) Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Berlin (2024); (Upcoming) Vielmetter Los Angeles Gallery, LA, USA (2024); No Visible Means of Support, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Palm Beach, Florida, USA (2023); The Armory Show NYC, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, New York (2022); Taking Space, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London (2021); Double Ententre, Anat Ebgi, LA (2018); Between Community and commerce, Site specific installation ZAZ10TS Time Square, NYC (2018); Matter Out Of Place, 93 Baker St. London, Frieze (2018) and Big Cactus Little Cactus, Galerie Huit, Hong Kong (2017).
Group Exhibitions include (Upcoming) Expo Chicago, with Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Chicago, USA (2024); Perpetual Portrait, Vielmetter, Los Angeles (2023); BEACH, Nino Mier Gallery, New York (2023); Where the Wild Roses Grow, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Schloss Görne, Germany (2023); Royal Academy of Fine Art Summer Exhibition 2023, London, UK (2023); Miart Art Fair, with Gallery Mimmo Scognamiglio, Milan, Italy (2023); Eye of the Collector Art Fair, with Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London, UK (2023); Perpetual Portrait, Vielmetter Los Angeles, USA (2023); CAN Art Fair, Ibiza, Spain (2023); Untitled Miami, Art Fair, Miami, USA (2022); Home is where the Art is, De Kunsthal, Rotterdam (2022); Armoured, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London (2022); Like there is hope and I can dream of another world, Hospital Rooms in collaboration with Hauser & Wirth, Hauser & Wirth, London, UK (2022); Untitled Art Fair, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery booth, Miami, US (2021); Summer Exhibition 2021, Royal Academy of Arts, London (2021); Art + Psychiatric Intensive Care, Hospital Rooms, London (2021); Enter Art Fair, with Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Copenhagen, Denmark (2021); Facing the Sun, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Schloss Görne, Germany (2021); Drawing Room Lisboa, with Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Berlin & London (2021); Supastore, NIDA Art Colony, Lithuania (2020); Scene Unscene, Gallery 46, London (two person show) (2020); We Could Apply Our Lipstick, C&C Gallery, London (2020); Isolated Observations, Candida Stevens Gallery, Sussex (2020); Cure3 exhibition, Bonhams, London (2020); Exeter Contemporary Open, Exeter Phoenix, Exeter (2019); Hauser and Wirth Hospital Rooms Fundraising Auction, London (2019); Think In Pictures with Amelchenko Curated by John Newsom Orchard Street, New York (2019); Solitaire, Sapar Contemporary NYC (two person show) (2018); Dark Wood, Transition Gallery, London (2017); Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy of Arts, London (2017); Young Gods, Charlie Smith Gallery (2017) and Topophobophilia, Gallery 46, London (2016).
Highlights and collections
Sara Berman was featured in the 2015 BP Portrait Award that showcased fifty-five of the most outstanding and innovative portraits around the world. Berman’s work can be found in the collection of The House of KOKO, London; The Poort Visser collection, Netherlands; The Maison Estelle, London, UK; The RO2 Art Collection and the Montparnasse collection, Canada. Sara continues to be involved in the Hospital Room projects here in London and was part of the exhibition at Hauser & Wirth, London with Hospital Rooms.