About

Emily Ryalls (b.1997, Wakefield) is an artist working in the spaces between photography, performance, and sculpture. Her practice is primarily concerned with hosting consciousness-raising spaces for women to gather and explore embodied knowledge, largely informed by her feminist postgraduate research at York's Center for Women's Studies. Through these framed encounters and participatory performances, Ryalls celebrates women as urban goddesses, sharing skills, concepts, and hopes for the future. Having exhibited in group shows across the UK and Europe, Ryalls has recently closed her first solo show at The Art House, Divine Archives, and now continues to develop the work shared within this collection - pushing her practice into new spaces.

Beyond her artistic practice, Ryalls also designed and manages the darkroom at The Art House, Wakefield. You can expect to see her working with community groups and artists on a number of creative projects celebrating the magic of analogue photographic processes.

Exhibitions

Graduate Showcase, New Art Exchange, Nottingham (18th May - 9th June 2019)

From The Skin, graduate group show. The Photo Parlour, Nottingham (22nd May - 5th June 2019)

Nottingham Trent University Degree Show, Gen23. Nottingham Trent University (May 31st 2019)

Free Range Show. Old Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, London (26th June - 31st June 2019)

Wakefield's Festival of The Moon (commissioned by Wakefield Council) group exhibition (23rd August - 7th September 2019)

OFF Bratislava, selected group show (31st October - 15th November 2019)

Off Centre, Nottingham photography festival (16th November - 26th 2020)

'this too shall pass' pop up exhibition at Merrie Studios, The Ridings Centre, Wakefield/ Unit 43, The Ridings Centre, Wakefield (September - October 2020)

The Mother, co-curator and group show exhibitor at Merrie Studios, The Ridings Centre (22nd April 2021)

"Re-emergence", group show with Thomas Elliot Wood, Thomas Duffield and Seb Smith, 34 Boar Lane, Leeds (2nd September 2021)

Waiting Game, solo exhibition and zine launch commissioned by Long Division (24th September 2021)

You Can't Sit Here, The Tetley PANIC! bursary recipient, online showcase of works (29th November 2021)

London Art Fair, Photo50: Doing & Undoing Islands, a performance by Emily Ryalls and Tom Lovelace (April 2022)

Photogreening: Mafwa Theatre (Lincoln Green Community Garden Installation), Emily Ryalls exhibition co-produced with the Lincoln Green community (June 2022)

Reframing, Reclaiming, The Art House/The Hepworth Wakefield, selected group show and mentorship programme with Hannah Starkey (Oct 22 - Feb 23)

East Meets West: Hidden Worlds, Format International Photography Festival, Derby, selected group show and 6-month artist development programme (March - Apr 23)

Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Doing & Undoing Islands, a performance by Emily Ryalls and Tom Lovelace (2nd September 2023)

Expanded Spatialities, selected group show at Galleria 2/3, Bucharest (September – December 2024)

Yorkshire Sculpture Park artist residency (April 2025)

HER Legacy, Wakefield sculpture trail in collaboration with Emma Hardaker. Commissioned by Historic England (June 2025)

Yorkshire Sculpture Park, The Resident. Exhibition and zine launch, in collaboration with poet Matt Howard (September – December 2025)

Divine Archives, The Art House. Solo exhibition (December 25 – March 26)

Talks/Guest Lectures

In Conversation with GENeration 23: Reflections on Education, Photography and Future Directions. Selected Speaker at Nottingham Trent University (June 2019)

Nottingham Trent University Guest Lecturer, with MA & BA Photography

Nottingham Trent University, BA Photography Degree Show Portfolio Reviews

Huddersfield University Guest Lecturer, with BA Photography

Huddersfield University, BA Photography Degree Show Portfolio Reviews

Leeds Arts University, Live Brief on Curatorial Play

In Conversation with Jamie Hawksworth (host), hosting at Village Leeds (Sept 2021)

Photographers in Conversation (host), hosting Sunil Gupta & Emily Andersen, Joey Solomon & Mariama Attah, Carolyn Mendelsohn & Angela Sheard, Aria Shahrokhshahi & Jagdish Patel (The Art House, 2021)

Format Festival, East Meets West: Photographers in Conversation (host), hosting Ismail Khokon, Lilliana Zaharia, Louise Taylor, Ruby Nixon, Shona Morgan, and Zula Rabikowska (March 23)

Media

British Journal of Photography

Pupil Sphere

XIBT Magazine

The Guardian

Aethetica Magazine

The Yorkshire Evening Post

The Yorkshire Post

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