Fiona Haines MRSS

Fiona Haines makes sculpture made from transformed objects to reconstruct the notion of place. Her approach is often research-based: responding to the idiosyncrasies of a place/ space and the quest for ‘fugitive essence’, seeking to illuminate qualities that may go unnoticed.

In 2016 she was awarded two residencies: a British Council research residency in Venice to investigate the fluctuating tides and ‘Aqua Alta’; and a University of Oxford funded residency at Wadham College looking at weather classification systems, drops of fluids and the fluid dynamics of the Isis. In 2017, she was awarded a new, prestigious funded Hauser & Wirth residency in California (John Baldessari studios) where she made a series of sculptures responding to the ever-present threat of seismic activity in California.

She also loves to collaborate; in 2015, she worked with sound artists to create an installation Sonic Sulis for Illuminate Festival, Bath. Situated outside the Roman Baths, the public were invited to interact with the mineral waters – this participation was then translated into a live light and soundscape, attracting over 20,000 visitors.

Haines’ original career in health underpins how she thinks about materials and processes. She approaches her work with the same clinical precision and attentiveness as a health professional working with a patient’s vital signs. Just as a clinician adjusts the dials on medical equipment to achieve a desired outcome, Haines carefully manipulates reflective materials; the position and colour to create orderly works that evolve. The reflective surfaces act as both a physical and metaphorical lens, encouraging the viewer to engage with the work as it changes in response to light and perspective. Each sculpture is carefully “titrated” through trial and error, adjusting its form and colour until the right balance is achieved. The result is a harmonious blend of colour, order and fluidity, where each piece remains in a constant state of potential, reflecting both the environment and the viewer’s own presence. Much like the medical field’s emphasis on precision and response, these sculptures aim to provoke interaction, inviting both passive observation and active engagement with the ever-changing landscape of materials, colour and light.

Fiona was born in Ireland and works as an artist in Bath. She received a Distinction in Masters in Fine Art from Bath Spa University in 2014.

In 2013 she was commissioned to make a sculpture for the Chelsea Flower Show winning a Gold medal. In 2014 she was awarded the Gane Travel Award to Iceland and the Porthleven prize.

She has exhibited nationally and internationally including Saatchi Gallery - London, Royal Geographic - London, Holbourne Museum, Wells Art Contemporary, RWA Bristol, Premier Vision Paris, Venice Biennale and Mexico. Her work is held in the Fidelity International Collection, Bath Spa University, Oxford Castle Collection, Hurel Paris and with private clients.