Riel is a Glasgow-based artist whose process-led conceptual practice explores relationships between history, place, material and circumstance. Working across photography, textile weaving, painting, printmaking and artists’ books, she allows material, process and enquiry to shape the development and form of each work. Riel graduated from The Glasgow School of Art in 1998 with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art Photography. Her work has been exhibited across the UK, Copenhagen, and India, including with the Scottish Society of Artists at the Royal Scottish Academy, the Academy of Fine Arts, Kolkata, and Urmila Art Gallery, Ahmedabad. Her residency experience spans Scotland and India, with her relationship to India beginning through a residency in Tamil Nadu in 2017 and continuing through further residencies, exhibitions, workshops, and invited talks. Most recently, she undertook a three-month studio programme at Kanoria Centre for Arts, Ahmedabad.

See Riel’s work as part of our annual Autumn open call exhibition, We Fear Nae Evil. Six Foot Gallery is delighted to host thirty three artists exploring the strange and magical stories of Scottish Folklore. Our Sextet listening station is back with twenty-four new pieces for you to spend some quality time with.

Hi Riel! How did you arrive at the theme of your work?
Although this work is made in Shetland, the catalyst was an invite to India, which triggered
thoughts of my grandfather, born in North Yell, and the two possible sites of his birth that once stood adjacent to one another.

How has your practice changed over time?
My work is still firmly grounded in my self being central to the viewpoint, but perhaps I am now more engaged with other media as and when I feel they hold the vocabulary required for the work.

How do you overcome creative blocks?
Watch boring tv or take a walk in the park. I find it diverts my attention and frees up the
subconscious to roam free again, or a visit to an exhibition will often fire up creative thoughts.

What emotions or reactions do you hope viewers experience when they see your artwork?
I always anticipate the viewer will experience my artwork through their own life experiences and emotions. I do, however, believe that a statement providing the viewer with the key to enter the work through my eyes should be available should they wish to read it.

How do you typically approach your creative process from initial inspiration to the completion of your artwork?
My artwork evolves in a non-linear combination of loops. An item, a thought, a material, or a process may be the trigger. I tend to delve into the past, pull it into the present to breathe in the future. There tends to be a constant that holds different branches of my work together, although this may not initially be apparent. My work might take a detour to consider something other than what I am working on, but ultimately I can see the connections.

Will your next project be a continuation of your current style or are you experimenting with something different? Can you share a glimpse of your next project?
I’d like to think that I will continue to experiment to expand my visual vocabulary, whilst leaning upon an aspect from the past. My next conscious project will involve the cyanotype process and perhaps earth and sand, but will also find freedom in continuing to make concertina artists’ books, which is a relatively recent addition.

Find out more about Riel’s work on Instagram.