Statement
Predominantly painting portraits of artists and writers from the last century, Janet’s practice is driven by curiosity about the lives of others. Through research, she is excited to uncover fascinating links and connections between her subjects.
An eclectic cast of characters are drawn from art history, literature and popular culture. They are selected because Janet admires their work, is intrigued by their personal stories, or likes their ‘look’, and often because she feels their importance has been undervalued.
Initially working from photographs, Janet repeatedly reworks her subjects in oil paint, inks and watercolours, sometimes painting onto found materials such as postcards and other ephemera. In this way she begins to learn their faces, alongside their stories.
Exhibitions and events
2025
- Where Are We Now, CAMP/Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Honiton, group show
- Women Who Paint Women, New Art Projects, London, group show
- Art on a Postcard auction
- Portraits, Newlyn Art Gallery, solo show
- Irving Open 2025, Irving Gallery, Oxford, group show
- Camouflage, Vitrine, Exeter, solo show
2024
- The Look, Transition Gallery, London, group show
- Beep, Elysium Gallery, Swansea, group show
- The Gift of Nearness, Exeter Phoenix Gallery, solo show
- Slow Painting, group show alongside Contemporary British Painting members, Studio KIND, Barnstaple
- Through-Line, group show with CAMP, Maltings Taphouse, Newton Abbott
- In conversation with Lara Goodband, Contemporary Art Curator, Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Exeter
- Out With the Old, In With the New, group show with CAMP, Studio KIND, Barnstaple
2023
- Contemporary art commission, ‘Points in a Constellation’ Royal Albert Memorial Museum & Art Gallery, Exeter
- A Generous Space, Huddersfield
- Group Show, Aspex Gallery, Portsmouth
- Tipping Point, group exhibition Studio Kind, Braunton
2022
- One Minute Film Festival, CAMP, Make Tank, Exeter
- BEEP Painting Biennial, Swansea
- Solo show ‘Don’t Look Now’, The Plough Arts Centre, Great Torrington,
2021
- Solo show ‘Snow Covers Ashes’, 163 Gallery, London
- Group show ‘Newtopia’ Jupiter Gallery, Newlyn
- Plymouth Contemporary 2021, KARST Gallery & Levinsky Gallery, University of Plymouth
- Group show ‘Correspondence’ Exeter Phoenix Gallery & Broadway Gallery, Letchworth
- Figurative Art Now, online
2020
- ‘Ing Discerning Eye, invited by Jo Baring
- Anyone May Come and Go’, RAMM commission with Preston Street Union
2019
- Ingram Collection Purchase Prize exhibition, The Cello Factory, London
- Creekside Open 2019 selected by Sacha Craddock, APT Gallery, London
- Serge/Surge, RAMM commission with Preston Street Union
- ‘Looking at You’ with Gedney Common, London
- Summer Will Have its Flies, curated by Natalia Gonzalez, Subsidiary Projects, London
- Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2018, South London Gallery, London
- Christmas Show, Gallery 98, Ramsgate
2018
- Kris Day’s Paper Cuts, Saatchi Gallery, London
- RWA Open, Bristol
- Bloomberg New Contemporaries, selected by Katy Moran, Keith Piper and Benedict Drew, John Moores University, Liverpool
- Exeter Phoenix, café gallery
- Plymouth Art Weekender
- The Art of Rivalry, solo show curated by Simon Lee Dicker and Bob Gelsthorpe, Od Arts Festival, Somerset
- Galleries R Us with Preston Street Union, Exeter
- Pop, Oxfam Music shop, Exeter
2017
- PIY Paintlounge, Sluice Biennial
- Plymouth Art Weekender
- Rye Winter Salon, selected by Paula Macarthur and Victoria Howarth, Rye Creative Centre
- Awesome Art Space, Exeter
- Makers of the Multiverse with Juneau Projects/Spacex, Exeter
- Random Art Machine, PS45 Gallery with Preston Street Union
Selected earlier exhibitions/projects
- Residency at Porthmeor Studios, St Ives, June 2016
- With Preston Street Union, May 2016, Postcard exchange, library bookmark performance
- Group show at Exeter Library, Absence and Presence, prints, March 2016
- Group show of work at Chapel House, Penzance, January 2016
- Collider, group show, PZ Gallery, Penzance – December 2015
- Member of Preston Street Union
- Second Prize, Open Drawing exhibition, Plough Arts Centre, Torrington, 2015
- Commissioned to design 3 railway posters as part of Exmouth Festival, partners include: Arts Council England and First Great Western, 2015
- Group show at Thelma Hulbert Gallery, Honiton, 2014
Awards/Mentoring/Residencies/Publications
- 2025 Arty Magazine Mirrors issue
- 2024 Arty Magazine Islands issue
- 2022 Frontpage/Backpage/Centrefold publication
- 2018/19 a-n mentoring bursary with Rosalind Davis
- 2018 Bloomberg New Contemporaries
- 2018 Arty Magazine
- 2017 Long-list Contemporary British Painting Prize
- 2016 Porthmeor Studio, residency
- 2016 Visual Arts South West mentoring programme (with PSU)
- 2014 Devon Artist Network/Open Studio Emerging Artist Award
- 2014 Gane Trust award
Education
- 2016-19 Turps Banana Correspondence Course
- 2015 Newlyn School of Art, Mentoring Programme
- 1991 BA Brighton College of Art
Alongside her painting practice Janet is a member of artist collective Preston Street Union.
Reviews/Press
- Artlyst – Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2018, South London Gallery, please click here
- ‘Janet Sainsbury spies on the indulgences and encounters between these great modernist thinkers, and surveys their proximity, their insecurities and their virile competition. Loose marks over the canvases give the imagined narrative room to unfold and make space for limbs to flail.’ (Bob Gelsthorpe, Od Arts Festival, 2018)
- ‘Giving the canvas over to these figures…(Janet) foregrounds the importance of the body as a tool with which to explore complex issues employing abstract forms and colour to create charged and engaging group studies.’ (Charlotte Flint, Gedney Common exhibition, Looking at You, 2019)
Preston Street Union (PSU)
PSU is an artist-led group working on collaborative projects. It was initiated in 2015 by artist Trevor Pitt at Spacex Gallery, Exeter.
Janet Sainsbury 