Sue Ridge

Light as Material

November 23rd - January 18th 2025

Special event Artist talk on Thursday 15th January 2026

Sue Ridge’s practice engages experimental processes including X-ray imaging, cyanotype with prisms and laboratory objects, drawing on both the history of photography and the language of still life.

Working with archives has been an ongoing theme, particularly related to commissions in healthcare, museums and archives. The cyanotypes and three-dimensional constructions capture the transient qualities of sunlight, situating still life at the intersection of photography and sculpture.

The larger three-dimensional constructions, composed of Perspex enclosures and selected objects, function as architectural stage sets referencing modern Japanese architecture, suggesting buildings made of light and colour.
Specialist X-ray photography uncovers the concealed material content of archival objects, repositioning them in new narratives, revealing hidden structures. These images occupy a liminal space between positive and negative, presence and absence, drawing the viewer into unseen dimensions.

Biog

Sue Ridge studied at Kingston School of Art and Goldsmiths College. She is an artist and Visiting Lecturer at Chelsea College of Arts. Recent commissions include X-Ray Archive funded by The University of the Arts, working with the six college Archives and Special collections. This involved an exhibition of artefacts and prints at Central Saint Martins, Chelsea and Camberwell Colleges of Arts. She is a brother at Art Workers Guild London.

She is a member of the collaborative group - Embroidered Minds exploring epilepsy and the William Morris Family exhibiting at UCLH Neurological Hospital Library, Queen Square London and the Chelsea Flower Show 2018.

She has been involved in many commissions for hospital environments including Lead Artist/Curator for the new North London University Hospital. As well as numerous commissions for Guys & St Thomas’ Charity, London.

Recent Exhibitions

X-Ray Archive Camberwell College of Arts Library Nov 2025 - Jan 2026

Rebirth exhibition – Monserrat Contemporary Art 547 West 27th St. New York 2025

Chromaflux exhibition, York street Gallery London W1

X-Ray Archive Chelsea College of Art Library January 2025

London Independent Photography – Subject – Object January 2025

Royal Academy Summer Show 2022 – 2 x Cyanotype prints

Bath Fringe ‘Glitch’ Exhibition 2022 , awarded the Helen Pulter Prize

Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair 2020.

Women & Photography Exhibition Oxford Nov 2020

Hastings Open Exhibition -Hastings Museum & Art Gallery Aug 2020 – Jan 2021

The London Group - Self Service Exhibition. 2019

‘Interruptions’ Alternative processes group show – Photofusion Gallery, Brixton, London. 2018

X-Ray Archive - Central Saint Martins Archives Windows Gallery 2018

New Vision in Printmaking, Chelsea College of Art, and Compultense University of Madrid. 2018 and Kuadu Museum of Fine Art, Taipei. 2017

International Print Biennale, Bolton, North East England 2016 Neo Print Prize Exhibition, Bolton Printmaking Today Magazine Award 2016

Embroidered Minds of the Morris Women - Queen Square Neurological HospitalLibrary, London 2015

Things we didn’t have before – Curious Objects Group Show. Pump House Gallery London 2015.

London Group Open Exhibition 2015 Photography Prize winner