B. 1997 Belfast, Northern Ireland

Emily Esdale is a recent graduate of the MFA Fine Art course at Belfast School of Art (Ulster University). She previously graduated with a First Class Honours in BA Photography and Video also at Belfast School of Art in July 2019. She also studied Fine Art Photography at Glasgow School of Art. During Emily’s time as a student, she has questioned different conceptual outcomes and mainly uses the landscape as a conductor to express her vulnerability as a photographer, through giving energy and time to a particular site.

Emily’s current project concentrates on using dust as a metaphor for the love and compassion we have towards sentimental objects. The images created are to depict the evidence of holding onto memories through recording the traces of dust with care and questioning the visceral fear of these objects disappearing. She was awarded the Jill Todd Photographic Award for Ulster University in June 2019 for this project.

Education

BA Hons Fine Art Photography - Glasgow School of Art (2015 - 2016)

BA Hons Photography and Video - Belfast School of Art (2016 - 2019 Graduated with a First Class Honours)

Masters in Fine Art - Belfast School of Art (September 2019 - June 2021)

Awards

 2019    Ulster University Jill Todd Photographic Award

 2020    Associate Fellowship Award from Ulster University

 Exhibitions

 2022

 Responding to the Archive, Public Records Office Northern Ireland, Belfast (forthcoming)

 Dark Space, Arts For All, Cityside, Belfast (forthcoming)

 2021

 Art Residency Showcase (solo exhibition), The Second Fiddle Bar, Belfast

 Royal Ulster Academy of Arts 140th Annual Exhibition, Ulster Museum, Belfast 

 Portrait of Northern Ireland: neither an elegy nor a manifesto, The Golden Thread Gallery Belfast 

The Salonathon Show, Platform Arts, Connswater, Belfast

The Guildhall Gallery London and Dublin venue TBC (forthcoming)

 Class of 2021 MFA Graduates, Queen Street Studios, Belfast (forthcoming)

 Not Here/Here, Arts For All, Cityside, Belfast

 Here/Not Here, Belfast School of Art, Belfast

 E Quadrant, Belfast School of Art, Belfast

2019

 Continuum, Belfast School of Art Degree Show, Belfast School of Art, Belfast

 2016

 Like But Not, SWG3 Gallery, Glasgow

 Residencies

 2022    CountryFile Residency, Banbridge (forthcoming)

 2021    MFA Fine Art Solo Instagram Residency

 2020    MFA Fine Art Collaborative Instagram Residency with Oonagh McAteer

 Artist Talks

 2021, June                  Live artist talk and interview, A Kist o Wurds Programme, BBC Radio Ulster

 2021, January             Online live artist talk and visual presentation, Belfast School of Art

2021 October Artist talk for Portrait of Northern Ireland: neither an elegy or manifesto, Golden Thread Gallery

  Curation

Co-curation of Dark Space, Arts For All, Cityside, Belfast (forthcoming)

 Co-curation of Responding to the Archive, Public Records Office Northern Ireland, Belfast (forthcoming)

  Other relevant experience

 Member of Visual Arts Ireland

 Work experience with Rosses Auctions Art Department