Rosalynd Aranel Byass Tyne and Wear, United Kingdom
Rosalynd Byass is a modern surrealist born in South Shields, England and now lives and works in Jarrow, England, working primarily in oils. She aims to visualise her mental reality with a focus on her experience with her mental health day-to-day, which includes anxiety, depression, OCD and PTSD, creating surreal narratives with her own library of imagery.
Since 2019, Rosalynd has been studying surrealism and creating oil paintings, in that time achieving a First Class Fine Art degree. Surrealism was about rebellion, unlocking the unconscious mind and exploring reality through creative means.
Commissioned by the UK music artist Mr. B the Gentleman Rhymer, she created the cover for his album "National Treasure” released in November 2023. Notable group exhibitions include the North-East Artists Open Call at The Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art (2021), the WHITE HOLE exhibition in the Ex-Libris Gallery at Newcastle University (2024) and THE BIZARRE exhibition at Fox Yard Studio in Stowmarket (2024). Her work has been featured in multiple publications, such as The Unfold Project book by Lonely Stone Press (2024). Two notable achievements of 2024 so far was being shortlisted in the VAA International Exhibition & Scholarship Prize with her piece “This woman does not exist” (2024) and receiving the Summer Biscuit Factory Foundation Artist Grant 2024. She has begun to give talks about her work, and so far she has been a guest on ‘Jo’s Art History Podcast’ and a finalist in the SkillUp Awards North East where she used her knowledge to educate and inspire.
A large part of surrealism was unlocking the unconscious mind and exploring the dreamscape, and so I use these to learn through my art how I am truly processing my reality, creating a cathartic experience. My mental health is a central theme, and I have found that surrealism is a great tool for expressing difficult to describe emotions or thoughts. I desire to express the strangeness of our existence with a focus on my own experiences and feelings. On the canvas, I want to create a world for the feelings to exist in, painting thin layers of realistic rendering and the composition, depth and lighting are always carefully considered. I hope to help myself and others process reality with my authentic, surrealist art.
EDUCATION:- Newcastle College, Bachelor of Fine Arts, 2022 | Newcastle College, Foundation Diploma in Art & Design, 2019
EXHIBITIONS:- 2024 Group Exhibition, 'SPIRALLING', Online | 2024 Group Exhibition, 'THE BIZARRE', Fox Yard Studio, Stowmarket | 2024 Group Exhibition, 'Art As A Response To Mental Health', Doncaster Art Fair, Online | 2024 Group Exhibition, 'White Hole', Ex-Libris Gallery, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne | 2024 Group Exhibition, 'Visual Artists Association International Exhibition and Scholarship Prize Shortlist', Visual Artists Association, Online | 2022 Group Exhibition, 2022, 'Support The Arts', Online | 2022 Group Exhibition, 'Fine Art BA HONS Final Exhibition', Assembly House, Newcastle Upon Tyne | 2021 Group Exhibition, 'Baltic Open Submission', Baltic Centre For Contemporary Art, Gateshead
PUBLICATIONS:- The Unfold Project (2024) Lonely Stone Press | Shaw, R. and Foster, R. (eds.) (2023) Scribbles: Uncanny, Issue 13 [zine] Scribbles | Ferry, N. (ed) (2022) Folio Magazine - NCUC School of Creative Industries End of Year Annual [zine] Newcastle College University Centre
COLLECTIONS:- Private Collection, Leipzig, Germany | Private Collection, Stoke-on-Trent, England | Private Collection, Lans, Austria | Private Collection, Fairfax, VA | Private Collection, Kensington, MD | Private Collection, Sunderland, England
Artwork
Dreaming of Corpses in Tight Spaces, Oil on canvas, 2024, £400
What would you do if I said I hate you?, Oil on canvas, 2024, £800
The Abstract Concept of You, Oil on canvas, 2024, £1000
National Treasure, Oil on canvas, 2023, £400
I Will Never Be Without You, Oil on canvas, 2021
The Body of Someone Who Was Hurt I, Oil on canvas, 2023, £240
The Body of Someone Who Was Hurt II, Oil on canvas, 2023, £50
AB AETERNO, Oil on canvas, 2023, £150
A version of me went with you, Oil on canvas, 2023, £150
The Prophecy, Oil on canvas, 2023, £750
Let Me Leave This Place, Oil on canvas, 2022, £560
The Lady Searching For Her Missing Right Arm I, Oil on canvas, 2022, £1340
The Lady Searching For Her Missing Right Arm II, Oil on canvas, 2022, £1030
The Soup of the Unconscious is Eaten by the Woman I Desire, Oil on canvas, 2022
This woman does not exist, Oil on canvas, 2021, £900
Weird and Ashamed I, Oil on canvas, 2020, £100
Weird and Ashamed II, Oil on canvas, 2020, £100
Weird and Ashamed III, Oil on canvas, 2020, £80
There is nothing there, Oil on canvas, 2024, £480
Projects and exhibitions
| Details | |||
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'SPIRALLING' Exhibition05/08/2024 — ongoing "This exhibition showcases a diverse array of surrealist artworks that challenge everyday perceptions and inspire imagination, taking you on an interesting yet sometimes unsettling visual adventure into the uncharted territories of creativity." - From the Phantasmal Gallery website. My piece "What would you do if I said I hate you?" is on... [Read more] |
https://www.phantasmalgallery.com/spiralling | Details |
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'THE BIZARRE' Exhibition19/07/2024 — 27/07/2024 Fox Yard Studio IG - "Featuring artists who push the boundaries of Contemporary art with thought-provoking works from different styles. The exhibition @foxyardstudio will showcase various paintings, drawings, sculptures, photographic and digital works. Come and delve into the works of THE BIZARRE to enjoy the peculiarities and vast expressions... [Read more] |
Fox Yard Studio, Stowmarket, Suffolk | Details |
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'Art As A Response to Mental Health' Doncaster Art Fair Online Exhibition & Competition03/06/2024 — 17/06/2024 An exhibition focussed on how mental health is explored in art. Hundreds of artists were exhibited, and there was a competition aspect. I submitted two artworks; "There is nothing there" - a piece about the conflict of anxiety and depression, and "Let Me Leave This Place" - a piece about OCD. |
https://www.instagram.com/p/C9cZ_h6Iv6_/ | Details |
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WHITE HOLE Exhibition13/02/2024 — 16/02/2024 Organised by the BFREAK PROJECT, a group of creatives of different disciplines came together to demonstrate the power of creativity. |
Ex-Libris Gallery, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne | Details |
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Visual Artists Association International Exhibition and Scholarship Prize 202415/01/2024 — 08/02/2024 This prize is annual, and I was shortlisted with my piece "This woman does not exist". I was one of 30 artists chosen. |
https://visual-artists.org/vaa-scholarshipexhibition-shortlist/ | Details |
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Album Cover for Mr B. The Gentleman Rhymer, "National Treasure"01/05/2023 — 08/09/2023 A commissioned piece for Mr. B. the Gentleman Rhymer's album, "National Treasure". It is a portrait of him with imagery inspired by the themes within the songs and his persona coming from his head and swirling around him. It is 51 x 51 cm and was £400. |
https://www.instagram.com/p/CzOa60DCv18/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA== | Details |
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Supporting Arts Exhibition | 202201/09/2022 — 30/09/2022 I exhibited my piece "The Soup of the Unconscious is Eaten by the Woman I Desire" as a part of the Supporting Arts "2022" exhibition, which was an annual exhibition created as a way to support artists through/after the pandemic. |
IG: supportingarts_ | Details |
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Fine Art BA HONS Year 3 Degree Show10/06/2022 — 15/06/2022 This was the final exhibition of my degree. I displayed various pieces from my portfolio together, the central piece being my self-portrait "The Soup of the Unconscious is Eaten by the Woman I Desire". For me, it represented how far I had come despite the struggle of the pandemic. |
Assembly House, Newcastle Upon Tyne | Details |
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Open Studios 12 | Fine Art Degree Show Year 209/07/2021 — 12/07/2021 The final exhibition of the second year of my Fine Art BA HONS degree. I exhibited my piece "This woman does not exist", which was my final piece of Year 2. |
IG: fineart_ncuc | Details |
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Baltic Open Submission 202119/05/2021 — 05/09/2021 Over 150 North East artists exhibited together as part of this exhibition. I submitted one of my older pieces "The Valley of the Untouchable Fantasies" (2020, Oil on canvas). |
BALTIC Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead | Details |
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New Myths | Fine Art Degree Exhibition Year 231/03/2021 — 10/04/2021 An online exhibition to show the work we had created so far in our second year. I exhibited "Weird and Ashamed I, II & III", a piece I made at the end of 2020. |
IG: fineart_ncuc | Details |
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Relations and Reflections | Fine Art Degree Year 225/03/2021 — 17/04/2021 Everyone from my fine art cohort created a piece under the theme of "Family", a theme poignant because of the pandemic. I created a piece about myself and my twin brother, "I Will Never Be Without You". |
vane.org.uk | Details |
Open Studios 11 | Fine Art Degree Year 101/12/2019 — 20/12/2019 An exhibition to display the work of myself and my peers that we had created in Year 1. |
Mandela Building, Rye Hill Campus, Newcastle College, Newcastle Upon Tyne | Details | |
UAL/Newcastle College Foundation Diploma in Art & Design Final Exhibition01/06/2019 — 15/06/2019 The final exhibition of my Foundation Degree in Art & Design. |
Mandela Building, Rye Hill Campus, Newcastle College, Newcastle Upon Tyne | Details | |
New Myths | Foundation Degree in Art & Design07/01/2019 — 14/01/2019 Exhibiting the work I created that year so far in my Foundation Degree in Art & Design. |
Assembly House, Newcastle Upon Tyne | Details |