Ones to Watch Artists in Residence!

This summer, two artists have joined our studios on a residency. These lovely recent-graduates are Roisin Kerslake-Sim and Maria Cepeda, winners of the first and second place in the Ones to Watch exhibition of this past spring. Curious to know more about them and their work? Read on! Maria moved to Leeds from Columbia to do her degree in Fine Art at Leeds Arts University.

Originally educated in traditional styles of painting and drawing, she found her true voice upon arriving here. She’s been focusing on the collision of science fiction and real life, leading her to win second place in the Ones to Watch exhibition. She explores the way human beings are evolving in relation to technology, and how that influences us not only physically, but also psychologically. Her art works are backed up by a broad knowledge of science, a stubborn character, and a great intellectual depth. She is a lover of thrill, and feels happiest the moment just after finishing something.

After the summer Maria will start an MA in Fine Art Media in London at The Slade UCL. Talented, enthusiastic, and a self-described creative mess, Roisin is an exciting young artist and recent graduate from Leeds Art University. In the Sunny Bank Mills Ones to Watch exhibition this year she was selected for the Judges Prize, winning a residency here for the summer. Roisin is a performance film artist who uses ceramic props in her films.

Placing these props upon herself, she creates ceramic armour, or facades of fragility. Her passion in life is making art. She’s happiest when struck by the thrill of new ideas, and has a great love for cats, Gillian Wearing, and the colour mustard yellow. Her inspiration comes from everyday life, and an eternal fascination with the question “why.” She deeply believes in art’s communal significance, and looks forward to exploring what the future might hold – starting with her residency here this summer, and her new job as a community artist in Oxford that she’ll start in September.

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