B.1992 Works and Lives in Newcastle upon Tyne
Artist statement
Mani Kambo is a multidisciplinary Artist, based in Newcastle upon Tyne. She explores the inner spirit by drawing on her own personal totemic symbols. Influenced by her upbringing in a household filled with superstition, prayer and religious ceremony. Textile, fabric dying and printmaking is rooted in Kambos family history within the caste system. She focuses on objects, routines and rituals distilled both from the everyday and mythology.
Her work records movement and documents performative actions – the hand that creates the action, fire that reveals, water which is the purifier and eyes that perceive: through the exploration of totemic objects and symbols. Through layering and editing images together she collages narratives and weaves dreamscapes. These visuals are repeated throughout her work like markers linking to notions of spirituality and belief in reincarnation.
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS/ SCREENINGS :
Portals, Gallagher and Turner, 2024
COUNTERWEIGHT, Brass Tacks, Newcastle Arts Centre, 2024
Faith Museum, Bishop Auckland, 2023 - 2025
Unknown Screens - Working Class Creatives Database x Hypha Studios, Film and video screening, London, 2023Now Thats What I Call Art 2, Newcastle Contemporary Art, High Bridge Street, 2023
Sudden Beams 2: Extraction, Platform Asia, Various venues, 2023
Hinterlands, Baltic Center for Contemporary Art, 2022-2023
Swimmers Limb, Somerset House Gallery 31, 2022
''Lore' part of GemArts Masala Festival, Gateshead Library, 2022
Jubilee. Vane Gallery, 2022
Manner Of Flying, System Gallery, September 2019
Gathering intervention , Hatton Gallery, Feb 2019
Sunderland Shorts Film Festival, 2019
Middlesbrough Art weekender with GOLDTAPPED, October 2018
RIFT, Vane Gallery, September 2018
Feeling Yr Thoughts, Northern Charter, August 2018
Nowt Special, Tyne Bank Brewery, August 2018
Semblance, System Gallery, July 2018
Experimental Film Festival, Middlesbrough RAOB Club (The Buffs), December 2017
Something Good, Norwich Outpost Offsite, 2017
The Moon and Sixpence, Revisited, 2017 Screening part of Hope Stebbing Doremiresidency
Janus at 36 Lime street, Supported using public funding by Arts Council England, 8th September 2017,
Playback Touring Exhibition in association with Random Acts, numerous venues including Peckham Platform (London), Phoenix (Leicester), Tyneside Cinema (Newcastle), The Hive (Worcester), The Tetley ( Leeds), De La Warr Pavillon (Bexhill-on-Sea), Create Studios ( Swindon), March 2017- Februar 2018
Exposing Form, Part of International Womens day 2017, Vane, Commercial Union house, 2017
Video Social Club, Post Everything, part of Sea Change and The Plymouth Art Weekender, 2016
Thia/ Perpetual, Commercial Union house 4th Floor, part of The Late shows, May 2016
Laing Artists take over, Laing Art Gallery, 30th April 2016
The Moon and Six Pence, Graduate Artist in residence with Hope Stebbing, Tyneside Cinema Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 2016
‘Praxis Emerging Arists’, Group exhibition, Praxis Gallery, Commercial Union House, Newcastle, 2015
Re[Fit], Collaborative book, cassette and film with Lauren Vevers, Newbridge books, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 2015
‘Film screening’, Kino Moviemento Berlin, kreuzberg, 2015
‘IckleFilm Festival’, Short film festival, Dundee, 2015
‘Free Range’ Group Exhibition at Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London, 2015
‘Northumbria Fine Art Degree Show’, Exhibition at Northumbria University and Gallery North, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 2015
‘Perplex, Group’ Exhibition, Unit 45 Hoults yard, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 2014
ARTIST TALKS/ WORKSHOPS
Collaborative textile dreamscapes, workshops with Fine Art students at Newcastle University 2023
Creative practices', Artist Talk, Sunderland University 2023
Castlefield Gallery, Artist talks programme focuses on communicating across boundaries June 2021
Newcastle College Fine Art Students year 1 + 2, May 2021
RESIDENCIES / AWARDS / COMMISSIONS
In residence at Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, January 2024 - April 2024
Polarity, Micro residency and exhibition, Gallery North, 2023
North East Artists fund 2023
Castlefield Gallery, Manchester, Associate Membership 2023 - 2023 for 1 year
Priestman Gallery 1 week Residency at Sunderland University, March 2023
AA2A - Sunderland University, 2022-2023
A-N Artists Bursary, 2022-2023
The Telling Place with The Space to Come, Durham University, 2022-2023
Gallery 31 Residency at Somerset House Studios, 2022
The Exchange with The Newbridge Projects, Eastside projects, Camp, G39, Spike Island, Turf Projects 2021
The Elephants Trust 2020
DYCP: Arts Council England and National Lottery Funding 2020
womxn of colour art award, shortlisted awardee, 198 contemporary and learning
A bursary from Eclipse through the Slate Play Pot 2019-2020
Zabludowicz Collection: 2020 Masterclass
Shortlisted for Dover Art Prize Fund 2019
Associate Membership at Newbridge 2018-2019 & 2020-2021
A-N Mentoring Programme 2018 - 2019
RIFT and Semblance, 2018, Supported using public funding by Arts Council England
Beyond Open door residency, Allenheads Contemporary Arts, 2018
Janus at 36 Lime street, 2017, Supported using public funding by Arts Council England
Praxis Gallery resident for August 2017
Lady Betty Martin Fund, 2017
Towards a summoning, commissioned by Tyneside Cinema, True North, HOME. Funded by Arts Council England, 2017
In Cahoots Residency, Hoults Yard, 2016
Tyneside Cinema Graduate Artist in Residence with Hope Stebbing, in partnership with Northumbria University. October 2015 - January 2016
[Re]Fit, funding awarded by The writing squad, 2015
Best First Filmpoem and Audience Pick for Read Our Lips:Filmpoem Competition, Apples and Snakes, Middlesborough, 2015