Jen Orpin AMAFA
Born 1974 Surrey, lives and practices in Manchester
1993-1996. BA Hons fine art Manchester Metropolitan University
2000 to present Rogue Artists’ Studios member
Associate member of Manchester Academy of Fine Art
Represented by Saul Hay Gallery / Jari Lager Gallery
Public collection New Art Gallery, Walsall
Public collection, Manchester Art Gallery
Co-founder Rogue Women
Founder A Small Space
2024
Jan – Here is My Favourite Place. Group show, Jari Lager Gallery, Seoul
Jan – London Art Fair. Encounters Space, Saul Hay gallery, London
Feb – New Light Art Prize. Selected group show, Bankside Gallery, London
March – Art On A Postcard. Group show, The Bomb Factory, London
March – New Light Art Prize. Selected group show, Rheged Arts Centre, Penrith
April – A Navigation Of Memory. Solo show, Jari Lager Gallery, Seoul
May – Art Busan. Solo presentation, Jari Lager Gallery, South Korea
May – A Small Space On Tour. Group show, TAT Art Space, Bali
June – Royal Academy Summer Show, London
June – Terrace Open. Group show, Patchworks, London.
June – Friends Of Dorothy, Group show, Refuge. Manchester
June – Summer hang. Saul Hay Gallery, Manchester
June – New Light Art Prize. Selected group show, The Biscuit Factory, Newcastle
July – Mura Ma Gallery. Summer Salon, Marple
Aug – Connections. MAFA group show, Stockport War Memorial art Gallery
Oct – New Light Art Prize. Selected group show, The Mercer Art Gallery, Harrogate
Oct – Rogue Women 3. Group show and curator. Rogue Studios, Manchester
Oct – The Pearls & The Oyster. Selected group show, The Birley Studios, Preston
Nov – We Left Nothing Behind. Solo show, Union Gallery, London
Nov – Manchester Art Fair. Saul Hay Gallery stand, Manchester
Nov – Manchester Contemporary. Rogue Women stand, Manchester
2023
March – The Journey Continues. Solo Show and artist residency Saul Hay Gallery, Manchester
May – Rogue Women II. Co-Curated. Group show Rogue Artists’ Studios, Manchester
May – Coalescence. Selected group show, Contemporary Six Gallery, Manchester
May – Comme Ca Art X AWOL Studios. Selected group show, Manchester
May – Aug Royal Academy Summer Exhibition. London
June/July – MAFA Summer Exhibition. Group show, Dean Clough, Halifax
June – Founded A Small Space. Group show. Old Town General Store Stockport
July – A Small Space. Group show, 258 Deansgate, commissioned by GNW
July – A Generous Space 3. Selected group show, Huddersfield Art Gallery
Aug – Live With It. Invited, group show, Mura Ma, Marple
Sept – New Light Art Prize. Selected group show. Williamson Art Gallery, Birkenhead
Sept – Sight Ingested. Invited group show, part performance. Tokyo
Sept – Tees. Group show. Rogue Artists’ Studios project space, Manchester
Oct – My Brutal Life. Invited group show, Moore Street substation, Sheffield
Oct – Sight Seeing. Invited group show, School of Fine Art, Athens
Oct – The Bury Open. Selected group show, Bury Museum and Art Gallery
Nov – ING Discerning Eye. Selected group Show, Mall Galleries, London
Nov – The London Group Open. Selected group show, Copeland Gallery, London
Nov – Precious Little. Invited group show, Mura Ma, Marple
Nov – Manchester Contemporary. Rogue Women, group show/Curator
Nov – Manchester Art Fair. Invited group show, Saul Hay Gallery
Nov – A Small Space. Group show/curator, The Square Feet Space, London
Nov/Dec – In Case You Missed It. Selected group show, The Modernist, Manchester
Dec – Here Is My Favourite Place. Group show, Seoul, South Korea.
2022
Jan – HOME Manchester Open Exhibition. Shortlisted for People’s Choice award
Feb – Habitat. Contemporary Six Gallery. Selected group show Manchester
May – A Generous Space 2. Selected Group show, The New Art Gallery Walsall
Painting acquired by NAGW for their public collection.
July – Tarpey Gallery Open 2022. Selected group show, Castle Donington
Aug – Beyond Landscapes. Group show Saul Hay Fine Art, Manchester
Sept – Think Of Me With Kindness. Group show, Cage Gallery Sheffield
Sept – This Must Be The Place. Group show, Wakefield
Oct – Wales Contemporary 2022. Selected group show, Pembrokeshire
Oct – MAFA Members Exhibition. Group Show, Stockport War Memorial Art Gallery
Oct – Gertrude Presents. Invited group show, Truman Brewery, London
Oct – Northern Connections. Invited group show, Contemporary Six, Manchester
Nov – Manchester Art Fair, Saul Hay Gallery stand
Nov – Winter Exhibition. Invited group show, Tarpey Gallery, Castle Donington.
Nov – Wales Contemporary 2022. Selected group show, Gallery @Oxo London
Dec – London Modern. Thirteen Bridges, Solo show Waltham Forest Town Hall, London
2021
Jan – In conversation, Jen Orpin with Gareth Rees compared by David Cooper. Part of a research project by two collaborators from The Manchester School of Architecture conducting research around the values that people place on Landscapes of Post War Infrastructure.
June – The Manchester Modernist Society. Solo show Silent Cursors Punctuated Journeys.
April – In Manchester. Selected group show, Saul Hay Gallery Manchester.
May- Brutal. Invited group show, Saul Hay Gallery Manchester
May – Motorway paintings Feature in The Guardian Online / The Grid section in the Observer’s New Review Arts and culture magazine.
June – The Natural World. Invited group exhibition, The gallery, Holt. Norfolk.
June – New Light Art Prize. Selected group show Biscuit Factory, Newcastle.
Aug – Wells Art Contemporary. Selected group show, Wells Cathedral.
Sept – New Light Art Prize. Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Carlisle.
Sept – Bankley Open Call, Selected group show, Manchester.
Oct – Miniatures. Selected group show, Fronteer Gallery, Sheffield.
Nov – New Light Art Prize. Bankside Gallery, London.
Nov – Manchester Art Fair, Saul Hay Gallery stand.
2020
Jan – HOME – Manchester Open Exhibition. Selected group show
Shortlisted Artist for The Granada Foundation Gallery exhibition
Jan – Jackson’s Open Painting Prize 2020. Selected long list.
Dec – ING Discerning Eye. Selected group show London
2020-2021. New Light Art Prize Exhibition shortlist, Scarborough Art Gallery.
Dec – Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival Open Selected group show.
2019
Jacksons Open Painting Prize 2019. Selected Long List
Micro, an exhibition of small works. Selected group show, Air Gallery Altrincham
A little Painting Show. Invited group show, OA Studios Salford
Didsbury Arts Festival. Pop up group show with Saul Hay Gallery Manchester
Manifestation – Group show, Rogue Artist’s Studios, Manchester
Manifest Arts Festival Granada foundation Micro Commission
Spotlight. Group show, Saul Hay Gallery, Manchester
A Little Painting Show. Hosted by The Dead Pigeon Gallery at the office of Dan Carden MP, Liverpool
Westmorland Landscape Painting Prize. Selected group show Rheged Centre, Penrith
Manchester Art Fair, Saul Hay Gallery, Manchester
Rogue Women. Group show, Rogue Artists’ Studios, Manchester. Co-curator and exhibitor.
2018
Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year 2018 contestant, chosen in top 3 in the heat.
Rebel Daughters, group show. The Point Community Arts Centre, Doncaster.
Looking Forward, group show. Saul Hay Gallery. Manchester
Waterside Arts Centre Open, group show, Sale. Highly Commended.
Size Matters. St Helens Group show. Small and postcard sized work.
Jacksons Open Painting Prize 2018. Selected Long List.
AIR Gallery’s Open exhibition. Group show, Altrincham.
Manifesto, Rogue Artists’ Studios. Group show.
Manchester Art Fair, Saul Hay Gallery and Elastic Space Art Consultants.
Saul Hay Fine Art winter collection. Group show.
A Little Painting Show, Arena Studios and Gallery, Liverpool. Group show.
2017
New Topographies. Group show, Saul Hay Gallery Manchester
The Gallery At St Georges House – Bolton – Solo Show
Highs & Lows: A West Highland Fling (Winter 2016 – Winter 2017) represents an ongoing emotional investigation for the Manchester artist.
Saul Hay Gallery, anniversary group show. Manchester
2016
Art and Ink Altrincham College of Art Gallery
Waterside Arts Centre Open, group show. Sale
Rogue 21, group show, Waterside Arts Centre. Sale
2015
Manifest Arts festival. Rogue Studios, Manchester
Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival Open
2014
Waterside Arts Centre Open, group show. Sale
West Lancashire Open Chapel Gallery. Commendation
Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival Open
Jack Sevens gallery. Macclesfield
2013
The Python Open. The Gallery at St George’s House, Bolton
The Open Contemporary. Stockport Art Gallery
Warrington Contemporary Arts Festival Open. Prize winner
2005 – Troubadour Gallery – Solo show. Manchester
2004 – Troubadour Gallery, group show. Manchester
2001 – Noiz Zion Arts Centre. Manchester
1999 – Green Room, solo show. Manchester
1998 – Check out, group show. Park Road Liverpool
1994 – Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester. Student group exhibition
Press/Publications
2021
The Grid – The Observer Arts and Culture magazine and Guardian online
Manchester Modernist Society. Issue 40, 10yr Anniversary edition.
You love Me Really. Journeys Through Landscapes of Post-War infrastructure
2023
On My Radar – The Observer Arts and Culture magazine and Guardian online
Delayed Gratification. Front cover and feature
Cheshire Living. Feature article
Breathe magazine. Interview and images in the Metaphor Of The Motorway feature.
2024
Classic and Sports Car magazine – Art spotlight feature interview and images
Country Life magazine – London art Fair feature
Illustrations:
Hidden Kerala: The travel Guide. MHI publications 1997
Book Covers:
Jackdaws by Neil Campbell / The Numbers by Christopher Burns. Nightjar Press publications. 2016
Television
2018 – Sky Arts Landscape artist of the year.
Paintings on TV sets
1999 – Queer as Folk – C4 Series 1 and 2
2012 – 2016 Last Tango In Halifax, BBC series 1 – 3
2016 – Last Tango In Halifax, BBC Xmas special
2016 – Crimes that shook Britain, Sky
2017 – Ackley Bridge series 1