British artist, Deborah Duffin, best known for her sculptural works made with wire and collected materials, began exhibiting as a first year student, when she was selected to represent her college in the Stowell's Trophy exhibition at the Mall Galleries, London. In her final year she won the Winsor and Newton Student Award. Moving to London on graduation, she developed a career in 80's East London, exploring the interplay between drawing, sculpture, installation and photography; exhibiting widely, including: Camden Art Centre, London; Feren's Art Gallery, Hull; Camerawork, London; St Pauls Gallery, Leeds; Watermans Art Centre; Whitechapel Gallery, London. A commission for British Telecommunications in 1995, using their old telephone wire, led to a solo show at the Barbican Art Gallery in 1996. The birth of her son 4 days after the private view, led to a break in her career. She continued to work on domestic commissions, while home educating her son and involving him in her work. She began to redevelop her career in 2010, showing at numerous venues including: Torre Abbey; Devon; MOCA, London: Ken Artspace, London: Devon Guild of Craftsmen. In 2022 she was invited to take part in 'If Not Now When - Generations of Women in Sculpture in Britain 1960-2022, at Hepworth Wakefield & Saatchi Gallery, London.
In 1984 she curated a series of exhibitions at 'J' Warehouse, London - an early example of artist led shows. Her books 'Organise Your Own Exhibition' (1987), and 'Investigating Galleries' (1994) sold worldwide, contributing to the rise of artist led events. She developed a series of innovative workshops and seminars for artists and worked as a consultant on professional practice to organisations, galleries and universities. In 1989 she was invited to become the first co-ordinator of the East End Open Studios, for the Whitechapel Gallery, London. She taught sculpture at Central Saint Martins and on foundation at Sir John Cass School of Art. Through the 80's and 90's she was a visiting lecturer at numerous institutions, including: Royal College of Art; Glasgow School of Art; Canterbury College of Art; New York Summer School and was a regular writer for AN Publications. She has also contributed to books, catalogues, publications inclduing: Public Art Review, USA; The Independent; 'New Feminist Art Criticism' edited by Katy Deepwell.
Her work is held in public and corporate collections including: British Telecommunications; Liberty Global; FJS Associates, USA; The Women's Art Collection, University of Cambridge; and private collections in th UK, Europe, West Indes, Australia and New Zealand. Her work is featured in many publications including: 'The Artist in the Changing City', British American Arts Association; 'Interviews Arts - Patterns of Experience', CV Publications and in Art UK. She was recently interviewed by ZoneOneArts, Melbourne, Australia. She is a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors and lives and works in Reading.
The Women's Art Collection, University of Cambridge