Ruth Ewan

BIOGRAPHY

Originally from Aberdeen, Ruth Ewan studied at Edinburgh College of Art. She is now an internationally celebrated artist whose research-led and critically engaged practice has drawn attention within contemporary art and socio-political history.

Engaging with the circulation of radical ideas and social movements, her work explores the processes by which ideas take form and spread from individuals to society. She explores these themes through various disciplines ranging from events, public works, performance, writing, large scale installations and print.

In 2011, Ruth Ewan was commissioned by Edinburgh Printmakers for an exhibition titled ‘The Writing on Your Wall’, which looked at printmaking as a socially concerned, democratic media designed to disseminate radical ideas. For this, Ewan worked with young people from Broughton High School to design a font. The letters were originally drawn onto rubbers, one by each member of the class, then cut into maple woodblocks. She has also worked with women’s groups, community organisations, hospitals, and prisons in the as well as young people.

Her work is in the collection of Tate London, McManus Galleries Dundee, Museum of Modern Art Warsaw, FRAC Champagne Ardenne, The Scottish Parliament and CAAC Seville. Ruth Ewan has shown extensively within galleries and museums including Collective, The Cooper Gallery, Edinburgh Art Festival, and the Victoria and Albert Museum.