bio
Ben Malcolmson (b.1999) is a visual artist from Belfast, living and working in Dublin. Ben works within the parameters of photography, video and sculpture exploring alternative photographic processes with relation to one’s land and identity.
Ben was recently awarded as commission artist with Photo Museum Ireland on Shared Histories - Diverse Views (2024), a cross-border project that span over a year working with communities in regional areas along the Irish border with partners such as Regional Cultural Centre, Letterkenny and Nerve Centre, Derry~Londonderry, concluding in two solo exhibitions in both centres, limited edition publication and short film created by Malcolmson.
Education:
He is a graduate from Ulster University, Belfast, Northern Ireland, graduating with a First Class Honours in Bachelor's of Photography with Video, his previous studies include undertaking his Erasmus studies (2019-20) at The Royal Academy of Art, The Hague in Bachelor's of Photography.
Professional Experience:
He has recently received support from Arts Council Ireland, Agility Award (2024), A-N Bursaries, Time Space Money (2022), 126 Gallery’s Micro-Grant Programme (2021), Arts Council Northern Ireland Individuals Emergency Resilience Programme (2020) and in 2019, Ben was awarded to represent Northern Ireland in the UK-Wide project Making Marks, Arab British Centre, with a significant solo exhibition at Belfast Exposed Gallery, ‘Murmur’ (2020).
Ben is a current studio artist based at Flax Artist Studios in the Emerging Artist Programme (2020-2025) and was a previous cohort member in Constellations - by Up Projects in partnership with Flat Time House (2023/24). Ben also participated in The Douglas Hyde Gallery, Student Forum (2020/21).
Solo / Duo Exhibitions:
(forthcoming) 2025- Flax Art Studios Project Space, Horizon, Belfast, NI
2025- Nerve Centre, Shared Histories - Diverse Views, Derry~Londonderry, NI
2024 - Regional Cultural Centre, Shared Histories - Diverse Views, Letterkenny, IRL
2022 - QSS, Lands In-between, Belfast, NI
2020 - Belfast Exposed, Murmur, Belfast, NI
Group Exhibitions (selected):
2023 - Catalyst Arts, to lean, to fold, to fall, to buckle, to hold, to carry, to support, Belfast, NI
2022 - The Printworks, Dublin Castle, PhotoIreland: Images Are All We, Dublin, IRL
2022 - Draíocht, you breathe differently down here, Dublin, IRL
2021 - Belfast City Hall, Lord Mayor's Parlour, Belfast, NI
2021 - The Douglas Hyde Gallery, Rendering New Realities: Access & Alterity, Dublin, IRL
2021 - Catalyst Arts x Belfast Photo Festival, And, if we observe the present, Belfast, NI
2020 - Bow Street Mall, Business as Usual, Lisburn, NI
2020 - Accidental Theatre, Speak It Now Eat It, Belfast, NI
2020 - Museum Belvédère, Generation Z, Heerenveen, NL
2019 - Belfast Exposed, The Collective, Belfast, NI
Residencies:
2024 - Cow House Studios, House Collective, Co. Wexford, IRL
2024 - Cow House Studios x Kunstverein Aughrim, Micro Residency w/ Bassam Issa Al-Sabah, Co. Wexford, IRL
2021 - Belfast School of Art, Graduate-in-residence, Belfast, NI
2021 - DAS Home Residency, Artist-in-residence, Belfast, NI
2020 - Making Space, NI, Online
2018-19 - Northern Narratives, ENG, Online
Awards:
2024 - Arts Council of Ireland, Agility Award, IRL
2023/24 - Up Projects, Constellations, ENG
2022 - A-N Bursaries, Time Space Money, ENG
2021 - Fotomuseum Winterthur, Pla(t)form, CH (Nomination)
2021 - Chennai Photo Biennale, IN (Nomination)
2021 - 126 Gallery, Micro-Grant Programme, IRL
2020 - The Douglas Hyde Gallery, Student Forum, IRL
2020 - Arts Council of Northern Ireland, Individuals Emergency Resilience Programme (IERP), NI
2018 - Ulster University, Deans List, NI
