Sandy Sykes is a painter, printmaker and book artist. She exhibits widely both nationally and internationally. References to visual and literary influences from multi-cultural history invest her work with a wry humour as she combines text and symbols with social and political observation of the dysfunctional world around her. She is in many major public collections.
Sandy Sykes RE. MA. was born in Yorkshire and is a painter, printmaker and maker of artist’s books. Drawing is the basis of her entire philosophy and vision and is essential to the production of her work in any discipline. Sketchbooks are used as an instant way of linking, collecting and developing ideas. Her awareness of the natural world is a major catalyst to her thinking.
She reads very widely. References to visual and literary influences, throughout history and internationally invest her work with a wry humour. Her visual language combines text and symbols with social and political observation of the dysfunctional world around her. She examines the thin line between the comic and the tragic.
Since 1970 Sykes has exhibited widely both nationally and internationally in solo and group shows, some of which have toured in Britain, Europe, USA and Russia. Represented in International Art Fairs in New York, Chicago and London, her work is held in numerous Public Collections including Tate Britain, Victoria and Albert Museum, Ashmolean Museum, MOMA and Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Library of The House of Congress, and many Private Collections.
Sykes’ many Awards and Prizes include the ‘International Print Triennial Krakow 2009’, ‘2nd Lessedra International Painting and Mixed Media Competition 2011’
‘International Print Network’ Germany 2011, Nominated and Finalist for the ‘Sovereign European Art Prize 2008’, ‘Bank of Canada Award’ Quebec 2005
‘Bird 2005 International Art Award’ China, ‘Seoul International Bookarts Fair ‘05’
2003/4 She won the Annual Lorne Award Scholarship, and a Major Artists Award from Arts Council England East, 2002 Commissions East Funding,
2001 Two months’ Scholarship and Residency on the Nagasawa Art Project, Japan.
2000 Three months’ Residency and Manhattan Graphic Center Scholarship, New York, with Solo exhibition ‘Hopping the Pond’ Manhattan Graphic Center 2002.