Kate McDonnell Somerset, United Kingdom

Back to profiles

I create sculpture and art installations using everyday materials and using repetition. My practice is firmly rooted in process art and influenced by postminimalist artists such as Richard Serra and Eva Hesse. I embody difficult thoughts and mental states in physical form. I'm interested in making work that sparks feelings in the viewer before thoughts.

I’m a visual artist who builds installations that embody unspoken anxieties. Using everyday objects like marked bed linens, redacted till receipts and blacked-out bottles, I create a visual language for mental discomfort – feelings that resist easy explanation. Repetition amplifies the scale, overwhelming viewers and drawing them into the experience.

Each installation is unique, responding to the place it occupies. Recent exhibitions have been instrumental in shaping my practice, particularly those that allowed me to experiment with different installation configurations over a period of time. These experiences have fuelled a commitment to ‘learning by doing’ and pushing the boundaries of my practice. Residencies like ‘Test Bed 24’ (mortuary chapel, Bath 2024) and exhibitions like ‘We Are For The Dark’ (derelict house, Hackney 2023) connected with diverse audiences and created a deep desire in me to explore much larger scale works in unusual settings in the future.

My solo show ‘Processing’ at The Art House, Wakefield (2023) was a showcase of my installations. I also installed work at Wells and Chichester cathedrals (2022) with the Royal Society of Sculptors, and a group show ( ‘Materiality’, Bath). Recognition includes the John Ruskin Prize shortlist (2024), a Culture West Creative grant (2024), Aesthetica Art Prize longlist (2022), WECA Creating Together Residency (2021), ArtConnect’s Artist to Watch (2021) and Gilbert Bayes Award (Royal Society of Sculptors, 2021). Previously my practice grew through the shows ‘Disordered States’ and ‘Blue Monday’, Bath, 2019. My journey began with a distinction for my MFA, Bath Spa University (2018). Each opportunity has fuelled my hunger for more ambitious works, innovative installations, and vast spaces.