Sean Bw Parker (MA) is a writer, artist, and musician working mainly in cultural theory and justice reform. He lived in Istanbul for ten years and lectured at Istanbul University. He has published or contributed to a number of books, appeared in many publications, guested on a variety of television, radio shows and podcasts, won a number of awards and given a TED talk. He currently lives on the south coast of England.
Gender
Male
Born
1975
Nationality
English
Country
United Kingdom
City
Worthing
Occupation
artist
Writer
Musician
Interests
politics
creative culture
art and Music
Languages
English
Biography
I am a writer, artist and musician, with a Master's degree in Fine Art awarded by the University for the Creative Arts, Surrey, in 2003. My visual art mode is largely painting, with occasional deviations into graphic design, book and album covers. My paintings are generally in acrylic, ink and watercolour, and can be associated with surrealism and abstract impressionism. Faces, bodies and shapes form new relationships via colour juxtapositions and freehand lines. The moment is more important than literal representation, and verisimilitude is sensed by the viewer, not imposed by the artist. My work in painting and poetry tends to be 'make, then see what I've made' – concept follows production, via the subconscious.
Education
University for the Creative Arts Farnham
Exhibitions
2024
Panopticon
University of Central Lancashire
Solo
2023
Kaleidoscope
Brighton Phoenix Centre
Group
2023
NewEver
Brighton Phoenix Centre
Group
Prizes and Awards
Koestler Arts (5) 2020-2024
Testimonial
Quote
'This was a fine composition that shows sensitive appreciation of shape and colour. The contours seem to be organic but are rarely connected (although they may be adjacent). It is an intriguing work. It is skilfully created and the shadowing is effective and delicately drawn'
Koestler Arts judge on Podlife 2 (2023)
‘One of Sean’s contributions [to Tor Times] is ‘A Brief History of Twentieth Century Art’ which should be on the A Level History of Art reading list (when they next come around) because he gives such a vivid sense of change in the visual arts world and its relationship with world events.’
Rachel Billington OBE. Inside Time
‘This is a really interesting, slightly surreal picture – you can clearly draw. I particularly like the way you have ignored the convention of giving each figure its own mass & volume, instead overlapping them with office furniture & partitions. The mix of line & colour works well. I can’t really work out the foreground figure – has he collapsed? – but that doesn’t distract from the fact that this is an original & pleasing piece of work.
I’ve just been writing about your other Purposeful Activity & with this one it makes a good diptych. Your style is both original & pleasing. With a pretty simple line you manage to convey the character & individuality of the people you portray in a really economical way. And your drawing of an office is immediately recognisable – the straggly green potplant, the filing cupboards. It all has a strong narrative quality: I would love to know the stories behind it all. Thank you.
The third of your works I’ve studied - & once again, a very strong piece. Slightly weirder than the others, with the large foreground hand almost obscuring the face in the bottom right corner. (Your hand? It seems to introduce you into the picture). The contrast between the coloured rectangles & the line drawn people works well. I like the concentrated body shapes of the people – all very alive, & alert. Your pictures are a pleasure to look at: confident in their complexity.’
Koestler Arts staff and volunteers (on Purposeful Activity paintings)
Koestler Arts judge on Podlife 2 (2023)
‘One of Sean’s contributions [to Tor Times] is ‘A Brief History of Twentieth Century Art’ which should be on the A Level History of Art reading list (when they next come around) because he gives such a vivid sense of change in the visual arts world and its relationship with world events.’
Rachel Billington OBE. Inside Time
‘This is a really interesting, slightly surreal picture – you can clearly draw. I particularly like the way you have ignored the convention of giving each figure its own mass & volume, instead overlapping them with office furniture & partitions. The mix of line & colour works well. I can’t really work out the foreground figure – has he collapsed? – but that doesn’t distract from the fact that this is an original & pleasing piece of work.
I’ve just been writing about your other Purposeful Activity & with this one it makes a good diptych. Your style is both original & pleasing. With a pretty simple line you manage to convey the character & individuality of the people you portray in a really economical way. And your drawing of an office is immediately recognisable – the straggly green potplant, the filing cupboards. It all has a strong narrative quality: I would love to know the stories behind it all. Thank you.
The third of your works I’ve studied - & once again, a very strong piece. Slightly weirder than the others, with the large foreground hand almost obscuring the face in the bottom right corner. (Your hand? It seems to introduce you into the picture). The contrast between the coloured rectangles & the line drawn people works well. I like the concentrated body shapes of the people – all very alive, & alert. Your pictures are a pleasure to look at: confident in their complexity.’
Koestler Arts staff and volunteers (on Purposeful Activity paintings)