Sam Williams lives and works in London where he is a current resident at Somerset House Studios. Using a diverse range of media spanning moving-image, choreography, text and assemblage he develops bodies of work which de-centre the human, focusing on species entanglements, ecological systems, bodies-as-worlds and folk mythologies. Sam takes a holistic and collaborative approach to work making and is resistant to beginnings and endings. A significant aspect of his practice is the cross-disciplinary dialogue created through collaboration with a range of artistic and scientific practitioners; including dancers, natural historians and ecologists.

Sam has presented work at institutions including Chisenhale Gallery, Arnolfini, Siobhan Davies Dance, Somerset House and South Kiosk (UK), UCSC Institute of the Arts and Sciences (US); PRAKSIS (NO); Kino Arsenal, Tanzhalle Wisenberg and B3 Biennale (DE), Atletika (LT) and Röda Sten Konstall (SE). Sam has been an artist in residence at Rupert (Lithuania), Hospitalfield (Scotland), PRAKSIS (Norway) and was part of the Wysing Arts Centre Syllabus VI cohort in 2021. He works to provide artist support and mentoring for institutions and organisations such as Somerset House, Camden Arts Centre and Arts Emergency.

Watch my Somerset House Studios Artist Profile Film on Channel

EDUCATION

2014–16

• MA, Sculpture and Moving Image, Royal College of Art (distinction)

SOLO & DUO PRESENTATIONS

• Deep in The Eye and The Belly, UC Santa Cruz, California, US (2025)
• The Eel's Tale, Standard Quay, Faversham, UK (2025)
• The Unloved, PRAKSIS, Oslo, NO (2025 with Felicia Honkasalo)
• The Unloved, Atletika, Vilnius, LT (2025 with Felicia Honkasalo)
• Common Ground, Arnolfini, Bristol, UK (2025)
• HALF-SWALLOWED, Abingdon Studios, Blackpool, UK (2024)
• Deep in The Eye and The Belly, Arnolfini, Bristol, UK (2023)
• Deep in The Eye and The Belly, San Mei Gallery, London, UK (2023)
• Stay, Studio Voltaire project space, London, UK (2022, with Oluwaseun Olayiwola)
• and in the soil there be mirrors, South Kiosk, London, UK (2021, with Hollie Miller)
• ISLAND, Hyper Functional Ultra Healthy, Somerset House, London, UK (2021, with Laura Grace Ford)
• Salvage Rhythms, She Will Art Space, Oslo, NO (2020)
• the actual structure is the material, Siobhan Davies Dance, London, UK (2019)
• Here and Not, Edit 4, The Lowry, Manchester, UK (2019, with Joe Moran)
• there was an idea of equality, Baltic39, Newcastle, UK (2017, with Hollie Miller)

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

• The Unloved, Amor Ex Machina, Seoul Museum of Art, Seoul, SK (2026)
• The Unloved, MEGA Art Fair with Xxijra Hii, Milan, IT (2026)
• The Open Road, East Gallery, Norwich, UK (2026)
• Deep in The Eye and The Belly, Busan International Video Art Festival, Busan, KR (2025)
• Deep in The Eye and The Belly, Gyeongnam Art Museum, Changwon, KR (2025)
• The Unloved, GASP, Amsterdam, NL (2025)
• SOIL, Somerset House, London, UK (2025)
• Deep in The Eye and The Belly, Estuary Festival, Essex, UK (2025)
• Conglomerates, Hypha Studios, London, UK (2024)
• Deep in The Eye and The Belly, Designhaus Darmstadt, DE (2023)
• Welter, Visions at The Nunnery, BowArts, London, UK (2022)
• Wormshine, Troubling Time, SLICE, Berlin, DE (2022)
• Salvage Rhythms, Chapters, Sankt Studio, Berlin (2020)
• See What I See, SPERRA, Blaker, NO (2020)
• See What I See, Visions in the Nunnery, BowArts, London, UK (2020)
• Salvage Rhythms, I Should Be Doing..., Gallery 31, Somerset House, London, UK (2020)
• the actual structure is the material, Irruptive Chora, Chalton Gallery, London, UK (2020)
• i want you to know i was thinking of you today, A Million Love Songs, Korai Space, Nicosia, CY (2018)
• until they feel–ahead of them–a barrier, Aesthetica Art Prize, York Gallery, York, UK (2017)
• until they feel–ahead of them–a barrier, ESTUARY 2016, Tilbury, Essex, UK (2016)
• RCA SHOW 2016, Royal College of Art, London (2016)
• Paper.Publication.Performance, Lychee One, London (2016)
• Medium, Sound It Out, V&A Museum, London (2015, with Emptyset)

SELECTED PERFORMANCES

• Wormshine, Röda Sten Konsthall, Gothenburg, SE (2024)
• Salvage Rhythms, Chisenhale Gallery, London, UK (2023)
• Salvage Rhythms, Dance Remainings, Gothenburg, SE (2023)
• Salvage Rhythms, Arnolfini, Bristol, UK (2022)
• Salvage Rhythms, AGM Somerset House Studios, London, UK (2019)
• A Fruiting Body, Ian White: Cinema As Live Art, Kino Arsenal, Berlin, DE (2019)
• Bozar Electronic Series, BOZAR, Brussels, BE (2018, with Emptyset)
• Test Pieces/Secrets of the Open Sea, Tanz Im August, Akademie der Künste, Berlin, DE (2015, with Rosemary Butcher MBE)
• Secrets of the Open Sea, NottDance, Nottingham Contemporary, Nottingham, UK (2015, with Rosemary Butcher MBE)

SELECTED FILM FESTIVALS & SCREENINGS

• The Eel's Tale, Canterbury Festival, Canterbury, UK (2025)
• The Open Road, Forma, London, UK (2025)
• No End, Swedenborg Film Festival, London, UK (2025)
• No End, Les Instants Chavirés, Paris, FR (2025)
• No End, Cafe OTO, London, UK (2025)
• Common Ground, Forest of Dean Sculpture Trail, Dean, UK (2024)
• Deep in The Eye and The Belly, King's College London, UK (2024)
• Stay, Salt Lake City Experimental Film Festival, Utah, USA (2024)
• Deep in The Eye and The Belly, 14th Philosophical Film Festival, Skopje, MK (2024)
• Welter, Phenomenology Film Festival, Arts & Health Hub, London, UK (2024)
• Deep in The Eye and The Belly, RADAR, Loughborough, UK (2023)
• Deep in The Eye and The Belly, Arts Catalyst, Sheffield, UK (2023)
• Deep in The Eye and The Belly, Uppsala Short Film Festival, Uppsala, SE (2023)
• Deep in The Eye and The Belly, Husavík Whale Museum, Husavík, IS (2023)
• The Figure Was..., INSIDE, Two Temple Place, London, UK (2023)
• and in the soil there be mirrors, B3 Biennial of Moving Image, Frankfurt, DE (2022)
• and in the soil there be mirrors, Cube Cinema, Bristol, UK (2022)
• Salvage Rhythms, May Fair Art Weekend, London, UK (2022)
• ISLAND, Videograms, Vilnius, LT (2021)
• Welter, Shape Arts (online) (2021)
• See What I See, Darmstädter Sezession, Darmstadt, DE (2021)
• See What I See, Oberhausen Film Festival, Oberhausen, DE (2021)
• See What I See, Swedenborg House Film Festival, London, UK (2020)
• Loomings, Eyecatcher III, Big Screen, Focal Point Gallery, Essex, UK (2018)
• Here and Not, On The Habit Of Being Oneself, Sadlers Wells, London, UK (2017, with Joe Moran)
• until they feel–ahead of them–a barrier, Cairo Video Festival, Cairo, EG (2017)
• Slow Curtain, Late at Tate Britain, London (2016, with Theo Adams Company)
• Borrowed Time, Jerwood Space, London (2016)

WORKSHOPS, TEACHING & TALKS

• Visiting Artist, Norwich University of the Arts, Norwich, UK
• Salvage Rhythms workshop, Goldsmiths University, London, UK
• Temporary Arrangements, Youth Collective, Camden Arts Centre, London
• Everywhere Playground, Upgrade Yourself, Somerset House, London
• FADE listening workshop with Lauren Craig
• Scores online/in-person event scores workshop
• Containers choreographic workshop series with Joe Moran, Siobhan Davies Dance, London
• Deep in The Eye and The Belly, Artist talk, RADAR, Loughborough, UK
• Deep in The Eye and The Belly, Artist talk, San Mei Gallery, London, UK
• Deep in The Eye and The Belly, Artist talk, NHM Gothenburg, SE
• Artist talk, Chelsea College of Arts, London, UK
• Artist talk, University of West England, Bristol, UK

AWARDS, RESIDENCIES & COMMISSIONS

2025

• The Open Road Film Commission, Cement Fields/FLAMIN/FVU (commission)

2024

• Practices for the Future, Dance Remainings, Röda Sten Konsthall, Gothenburg, SE (residency)
• Work/Leisure, Abingdon Studios, Blackpool, UK (residency)
• Forest of Dean Sculpture Trust (commission award)
• ZEALOUS Amplify Environment Award

2023

• LUX Critical Forum, London, UK
• Summer School, Kunstverein München, Munich, DE
• Elephant Trust Grant

2022

• Arts Council England Project Grant
• a-n Development Bursary
• Two Temple Place/ThorpStavri, London (residency)
• Rupert Residency, Vilnius, Lithuania (residency)

2021

• Axisweb Digital Residency
• Hospitalfield Interdisciplinary Residency, Scotland (residency)
• Darmstädter Sezession Prize for Young Artists
• Somerset House/King's College London Research Grant
• Arts Council Developing Your Creative Practice grant

2020

• Wysing Arts Centre Syllabus VI

2019

• Somerset House Studios resident artist
• Arts Council England Project Grant
• London Creative Network Development Program
• Elephant Trust Grant

2018

• Arts Council Developing Your Creative Practice grant
• PRAKSIS, Oslo (residency)
• ArtHouse Jersey (residency)
• JOYA Arte + Ecología (residency)
• Artist Network Professional Development Bursary

2017

• Stuart Croft Foundation Award
• Synthetic Ecology II Midnight Notes, ONCA, Brighton (residency)
• Figure Four, Baltic39, Newcastle, UK (residency)

2016

• Relax Digital Commission

2015

• Cité Internationale des Art, Paris (residency)