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Biography

Born in 1956 in Plymouth, Montserrat and raised in England, Veronica Ryan OBE, RA creates meticulously handcrafted work using a wide range of materials, including bronze, plaster, marble, textile, and found objects. Her sculptures and installations examine environmental concerns, personal narratives and memories, as well as the wider psychological implications of history, trauma and recovery.

Veronica Ryan: Unruly Objects is currently on view at the Pulitzer Arts Foundation, St Louis and is the artist’s first survey, featuring over four-decades of work. In August 2025, the exhibition will travel to the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio. Ryan will also have a one-person exhibition at the Whitechapel Gallery, London, UK in Spring 2026

Ryan has studied at St. Albans College of Art and Design, Bath Academy of Art in Corsham Court, The Slade School of Art at University College, London, and The School of Oriental and African Studies at London University. Over her forty-year career, she has been the subject of numerous exhibitions and residencies within the U.K., the U.S., and abroad. Her first one-person exhibition was at Arnolfini, Bristol in 1987. Other important one-person shows have been presented at Kettle’s Yard, Cambridge (1988), Camden Arts Centre (1995), Aldrich Museum (1996), Salena Gallery, Brooklyn (2005), Tate St Ives (2000, 2005 and 2017), The Mattress Factory, Pittsburgh (2011), and The Art House, Wakefield, Yorkshire, England (2017). In 2022, Ryan was included in the Whitney Biennial and awarded the Turner Prize, one the most prestigious prizes for visual arts in the United Kingdom. Her work is in many private and public collections such as the Tate Collection, the Brooklyn Museum, the Arts Council Collection, Contemporary Art Society, Sainsbury’s Collection, the Hepworth Wakefield, and the Weltkunst Collection at the Irish Museum of Modern Art. Ryan currently lives and works both in New York and in the U.K.

Selected Works

Selected Works Thumbnails
Veronica Ryan Plastered House, mid 2000s plasters, plywood, mesh 14 1/2 x 9 x 9 in. (36.8 x 22.9 x 22.9 cm)

Veronica Ryan
Plastered House, mid 2000s
plasters, plywood, mesh
14 1/2 x 9 x 9 in. (36.8 x 22.9 x 22.9 cm)

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Veronica Ryan Crucible, mid-1990s/2023 bronze, garden net, clay 8 3/4 x 15 1/4 x 10 in. (22.2 x 38.7 x 25.4 cm)

Veronica Ryan

Crucible, mid-1990s/2023

bronze, garden net, clay

8 3/4 x 15 1/4 x 10 in. (22.2 x 38.7 x 25.4 cm)

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Veronica Ryan Remnant Cloth, 2022 hydrocal, fabric 7 x 6 1/2 x 8 in. (17.8 x 16.5 x 20.3 cm)

Veronica Ryan
Remnant Cloth, 2022
hydrocal, fabric
7 x 6 1/2 x 8 in. (17.8 x 16.5 x 20.3 cm)

 

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Veronica Ryan Safety, mid-2000s paper, pins, thread, and photographic print 6 1/2 x 10 3/4 in. (16.5 x 27.3 cm) frame: 8 7/8 x 13 x 1 1/2 in. (22.5 x 33 x 3.8 cm)

Veronica Ryan

Safety, mid-2000s

paper, pins, thread, and photographic print

6 1/2 x 10 3/4 in. (16.5 x 27.3 cm)

frame: 8 7/8 x 13 x 1 1/2 in. (22.5 x 33 x 3.8 cm)

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Veronica Ryan Plaster Bandage, early-2000s elastic, plaster, hydrocal, pins, foam, rubber, ink 5 3/4 x 4 1/2 x 3 in. (14.6 x 11.4 x 7.6 cm)

Veronica Ryan

Plaster Bandage, early-2000s

elastic, plaster, hydrocal, pins, foam, rubber, ink

5 3/4 x 4 1/2 x 3 in. (14.6 x 11.4 x 7.6 cm)

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Veronica Ryan Hanging Palm, 2023 patinated bronze 48 1/8 x 9 1/2 x 8 3/4 in. (122 x 24 x 22 cm)

Veronica Ryan

Hanging Palm, 2023

patinated bronze

48 1/8 x 9 1/2 x 8 3/4 in. (122 x 24 x 22 cm)

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Veronica Ryan

Associate Dissociate, 2005

tea bags, thread

11 1/4 x 11 in. (28.6 x 27.9 cm)

frame: 13 7/8 x 13 7/8 x 1 1/2 in. (35.2 x 35.2 x 3.8 cm)

Veronica Ryan

Associate Dissociate, 2005

tea bags, thread

11 1/4 x 11 in. (28.6 x 27.9 cm)

frame: 13 7/8 x 13 7/8 x 1 1/2 in. (35.2 x 35.2 x 3.8 cm)

Inquire
Veronica Ryan

Lateral Shoots, 2023–2024

bronze date, date seeds, and cashew, cocoa pod, netting

3 x 7 x 10 3/4 in. (7.6 x 17.8 x 27.3 cm)

Veronica Ryan

Lateral Shoots, 2023–2024

bronze date, date seeds, and cashew, cocoa pod, netting

3 x 7 x 10 3/4 in. (7.6 x 17.8 x 27.3 cm)

Inquire
Veronica Ryan
Between A Rock and A Hard Place, 2022
metal, glass, paper plates, glue, hydrocal, fabric, thread, orange peel, embroidery ring, custard apple and soursop seeds, sculpey, batting, plastic net, plastic bottles and elastic band
123 1/4 x 42 x 28 1/2 in. (313.1 x 106.7 x 72.4 cm)

Veronica Ryan
Between A Rock and A Hard Place, 2022
metal, glass, paper plates, glue, hydrocal, fabric, thread, orange peel, embroidery ring, custard apple and soursop seeds, sculpey, batting, plastic net, plastic bottles and elastic band
123 1/4 x 42 x 28 1/2 in. (313.1 x 106.7 x 72.4 cm)

Inquire
Veronica Ryan, Entangle/Disentanglement, 2017-2022
Veronica Ryan, Entangle/Disentanglement, 2017-2022
Veronica Ryan, Entangle/Disentanglement, 2017-2022

Veronica Ryan
Entangle/Disentanglement, 2017-2022
fossilized coral, bandage, bronze, crocheted fishing line, sculpy, tea stained hydrocal, thread, Portuguese pink marble, hair net, pin cushion, pins, stainless steel hook and metal
dimensions variable
shelf: 3 x 48 x 12 in. (7.6 x 121.9 x 30.5 cm)

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Veronica Ryan In Extremis, Obliterate, Oblivions, 1998 acrylic and ink print on paper 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 in. (21.6 x 14 cm)

Veronica Ryan
In Extremis, Obliterate, Oblivions, 1998
acrylic and ink print on paper
8 1/2 x 5 1/2 in. (21.6 x 14 cm)

Inquire
Veronica Ryan Liminal Spaces, Feathers In Her Head, Sewing Seeds 2, 2019 as installed in "Portable Sculpture," Henry Moore Institute, Leeds, U.K., February - August, 2021. Photo: John McKenzie.

Veronica Ryan
Liminal Spaces, Feathers In Her Head, Sewing Seeds 2, 2019
as installed in "Portable Sculpture," Henry Moore Institute, Leeds, U.K., February - August, 2021.
Photo: John McKenzie.

Inquire
Veronica Ryan Plastered House, mid 2000s plasters, plywood, mesh 14 1/2 x 9 x 9 in. (36.8 x 22.9 x 22.9 cm)

Veronica Ryan
Plastered House, mid 2000s
plasters, plywood, mesh
14 1/2 x 9 x 9 in. (36.8 x 22.9 x 22.9 cm)

Veronica Ryan Crucible, mid-1990s/2023 bronze, garden net, clay 8 3/4 x 15 1/4 x 10 in. (22.2 x 38.7 x 25.4 cm)

Veronica Ryan

Crucible, mid-1990s/2023

bronze, garden net, clay

8 3/4 x 15 1/4 x 10 in. (22.2 x 38.7 x 25.4 cm)

Veronica Ryan Remnant Cloth, 2022 hydrocal, fabric 7 x 6 1/2 x 8 in. (17.8 x 16.5 x 20.3 cm)

Veronica Ryan
Remnant Cloth, 2022
hydrocal, fabric
7 x 6 1/2 x 8 in. (17.8 x 16.5 x 20.3 cm)

 

Veronica Ryan Safety, mid-2000s paper, pins, thread, and photographic print 6 1/2 x 10 3/4 in. (16.5 x 27.3 cm) frame: 8 7/8 x 13 x 1 1/2 in. (22.5 x 33 x 3.8 cm)

Veronica Ryan

Safety, mid-2000s

paper, pins, thread, and photographic print

6 1/2 x 10 3/4 in. (16.5 x 27.3 cm)

frame: 8 7/8 x 13 x 1 1/2 in. (22.5 x 33 x 3.8 cm)

Veronica Ryan Plaster Bandage, early-2000s elastic, plaster, hydrocal, pins, foam, rubber, ink 5 3/4 x 4 1/2 x 3 in. (14.6 x 11.4 x 7.6 cm)

Veronica Ryan

Plaster Bandage, early-2000s

elastic, plaster, hydrocal, pins, foam, rubber, ink

5 3/4 x 4 1/2 x 3 in. (14.6 x 11.4 x 7.6 cm)

Veronica Ryan Hanging Palm, 2023 patinated bronze 48 1/8 x 9 1/2 x 8 3/4 in. (122 x 24 x 22 cm)

Veronica Ryan

Hanging Palm, 2023

patinated bronze

48 1/8 x 9 1/2 x 8 3/4 in. (122 x 24 x 22 cm)

Veronica Ryan

Associate Dissociate, 2005

tea bags, thread

11 1/4 x 11 in. (28.6 x 27.9 cm)

frame: 13 7/8 x 13 7/8 x 1 1/2 in. (35.2 x 35.2 x 3.8 cm)

Veronica Ryan

Associate Dissociate, 2005

tea bags, thread

11 1/4 x 11 in. (28.6 x 27.9 cm)

frame: 13 7/8 x 13 7/8 x 1 1/2 in. (35.2 x 35.2 x 3.8 cm)

Veronica Ryan

Lateral Shoots, 2023–2024

bronze date, date seeds, and cashew, cocoa pod, netting

3 x 7 x 10 3/4 in. (7.6 x 17.8 x 27.3 cm)

Veronica Ryan

Lateral Shoots, 2023–2024

bronze date, date seeds, and cashew, cocoa pod, netting

3 x 7 x 10 3/4 in. (7.6 x 17.8 x 27.3 cm)

Veronica Ryan
Between A Rock and A Hard Place, 2022
metal, glass, paper plates, glue, hydrocal, fabric, thread, orange peel, embroidery ring, custard apple and soursop seeds, sculpey, batting, plastic net, plastic bottles and elastic band
123 1/4 x 42 x 28 1/2 in. (313.1 x 106.7 x 72.4 cm)

Veronica Ryan
Between A Rock and A Hard Place, 2022
metal, glass, paper plates, glue, hydrocal, fabric, thread, orange peel, embroidery ring, custard apple and soursop seeds, sculpey, batting, plastic net, plastic bottles and elastic band
123 1/4 x 42 x 28 1/2 in. (313.1 x 106.7 x 72.4 cm)

Veronica Ryan, Entangle/Disentanglement, 2017-2022

Veronica Ryan
Entangle/Disentanglement, 2017-2022
fossilized coral, bandage, bronze, crocheted fishing line, sculpy, tea stained hydrocal, thread, Portuguese pink marble, hair net, pin cushion, pins, stainless steel hook and metal
dimensions variable
shelf: 3 x 48 x 12 in. (7.6 x 121.9 x 30.5 cm)

Veronica Ryan In Extremis, Obliterate, Oblivions, 1998 acrylic and ink print on paper 8 1/2 x 5 1/2 in. (21.6 x 14 cm)

Veronica Ryan
In Extremis, Obliterate, Oblivions, 1998
acrylic and ink print on paper
8 1/2 x 5 1/2 in. (21.6 x 14 cm)

Veronica Ryan Liminal Spaces, Feathers In Her Head, Sewing Seeds 2, 2019 as installed in "Portable Sculpture," Henry Moore Institute, Leeds, U.K., February - August, 2021. Photo: John McKenzie.

Veronica Ryan
Liminal Spaces, Feathers In Her Head, Sewing Seeds 2, 2019
as installed in "Portable Sculpture," Henry Moore Institute, Leeds, U.K., February - August, 2021.
Photo: John McKenzie.

Video

Veronica Ryan discusses her major one-person exhibition Along a Spectrum at Spike Island, Bristol (May 19–September 5, 2021).