Manon Awst is an artist based in Caernarfon, Wales, who makes sculptures and site-specific artworks woven with ecological narratives. Her interdisciplinary approach to sites and materials is moulded by her upbringing in North Wales, her academic studies in Architecture and Artistic Research, and ten years of collaborative practice in Berlin as part of artist-duo Awst & Walther.

How our use and understanding of materials transforms locations and communities is at the forefront of her research. Materials are social, political and ecological markers of our time, and she channels this understanding into her sculptural practice.

She has exhibited widely in the UK and Germany including at Cass Sculpture Foundation, New Art Centre, National Museum Cardiff, Mostyn, Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Georg Kolbe Museum and Kunstverein Braunschweig.

Her work is part of The National Library of Wales and the National Assembly for Wales collections, Sammlung Boros and she has permanent installations on the Wales Coastal Path at Nant Gwrtheyrn and at Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, Berlin.

In the studio, 2021

CV

1983   
Born in Bangor, Wales

2005   
Architecture (MA Cantab), Cambridge University

2014   
Artistic Research, RCA, London

2015   
Creative Wales Award, Arts Council of Wales  

Current  
Public Spaces Creative Coordinator, Pontio Arts



Selected Exhibitions / Commissions:

2022 
POWER! LIGHT!, group exhibition at Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg

2022 
40+1 Bangor Art Foundation, group exhibition at Storiel, Bangor

2021 
Anghysbell, solo exhibition at Oriel Plas Glyn-y-Weddw, Llanbedrog 

2021 
Talking Bout my Generation: Direkte Auktion, group exhibition at Monopol, Berlin

2020 
Epona, Y Lle Celf virtual group exhibition

2019 
Haen Arall, solo exhibition at Neuadd Ogwen, Bethesda 

2018 
And I will take you to Paradise, group exhibition at KUBE, Ålesund

2017
Be Water, solo exhibition at Georg Kolbe Museum, Berlin (with Benjamin Walther)

2017   
Gap to Feed, permanent public artwork at Rosa-Luxemburg-Platz, Berlin, commissioned by L40 Kunstverein

2017   
Defence, public artwork commissioned as part of BINGEN 2017, Skulpturen am Rheinkilometer, Germany

2017   
Troelli, outdoor installation and interdisciplinary forum commissioned by Y Lle Celf, The National Eisteddfod of Wales

2015
Ground Control, solo exhibition at PSM, Berlin (with Benjamin Walther)

2014   
Far and Wide, public sculpture and interdisciplinary forum at Barclodiad y Gawres, Anglesey
funded by ACW and Cadw

Lobe Block, Berlin 2022
Photo: Carys Huws

Residencies:

2022   
Sculplobe, Berlin
supported by Wales Arts International

2021-22   
Summit to Sea Residency
with Tair Collective

2014   
Segontium Roman Fort, Caernarfon awarded by Cadw

2012   
CCA Andratx, Mallorca
supported by Wales Arts International

2010   
Künstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin supported by The Henry Moore Foundation

2010   
MeetFactory, Prague
awarded by the Goethe Institute



Selected projects: 

2021
Cynfas 5: Habitat
Guest editor for National Museum Wales’ digital magazine

2021
Consultant artist on Theatr Clwyd redevelopment with Haworth Thomkins Architects

2021
Storws Enlli design and development project with PegwArchitects

2019
Curator of SAIN50 exhibition at The National Library, Aberystwyth and Storiel, Bangor

2018
Curator and project manager of STAMP Castell03: To The Sea, a public art project in partnership with Cadw, Gwynedd Council and Arts Council of Wales

Collaborations:

Awst & Walther
PSM,  Berlin
Tair Collective
PegwArchitects

Publications:

Awst & Walther Monograph
Published by DISTANZ