About
Sara Heywood is a multidisciplinary artist based in East London, UK.
Her practice incorporates installation, photography, drawing, sculpture, sound and video. Intrinsic to the work is a collaborative dialogue between people and place, the layers that make up the identity of a given site, and the point where natural and manmade environments and materials converge or butt up against and impact one another.
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Works start with a period of in-depth research and development. This often includes exploring locality, heritage, social and personal narratives, ecologies and built environments, before responding with the most appropriate media.​ Intrinsic to her work is collaboration with materials and with other people - artists, designers, scientists, or subject specialists, often resulting in the creation of participatory and immersive experiences. These can be experimental and playful in nature and incorporate social engagement with key groups and might take the form of interviews with local residents or hands on workshops, events and interactions with a wider community.
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Sara has exhibited across UK and abroad, undertaken several international artist in residency programmes and commissions and was recently short-listed for The 7th John Ruskin Prize 2025, for her artwork Camera Obscura - Hertford Union Canal (2024).
She is also an experienced lead artist facilitator in visual arts education having worked on many permanent and temporary projects and commissions within school, community and gallery settings. These include: Barbican Centre, Bow Arts Trust, Camden Arts Centre, Chisenhale Gallery & Art Place (CAP), Cubitt Arts, South London Gallery and Whitechapel Gallery.​​
