Christopher Samuel
About
Christopher Samuel is a multi-disciplinary artist whose practice is rooted in identity and disability politics.
Often echoing the many facets of his own lived experience as a Black disabled man, his work tells stories, highlighting the often unseen experiences of his day to day life and those of others in similar circumstances.
His practice includes small detailed ink drawings, film, print, audio, research, and large installations.
Samuel works alongside galleries, museums, archives and other institutions to address missing representation in our cultural spaces.
​​​​​​​UPCOMING
2025 - 20/20 Futures Exhibition, Stratford, UK
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CURRENT
2025/6 Watch Us Lead - 20/20 UAL: Decolonising the Arts Institute, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham, UK
2025 Towards New Worlds - Disability Arts Online, online
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SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS ​
2025/6 Watch Us Lead - 20/20 UAL: Decolonising the Arts Institute, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham, UK
2023 The Archive of an Unseen - Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester, UK
2018 Housing Crisis - Attenborough Arts Centre ​
2016 Our Family - BBC Leicester, 9 St Nicholas Place​
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SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS​
​2025 Towards New Worlds - Disability Arts Online, online
2025 The Archive of an Unseen - Royal Society, London, UK
2024 Sing The Body Electric: Collection 2 - Undershed, Bristol, UK
2024 NAE Open 2024 - New Art Exchange, Nottingham, UK
2024 A Tale of 2 Lives - Nottingham Castle, Nottingham, UK
2023/24 Towards New Worlds - MIMA, Middlesbrough, UK ​
2023 MANIFEST / Policy Lab - Bloc Projects, Sheffield, UK
2023 The Archive of an Unseen - Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester, UK
2023 MANIFEST / Policy Lab - Makeversity @ Somerset House, London, UK
2023 The Waiting Room - Object Memory, Phoenix, Leicester, UK
2022 You’re Not as Tall As You Look on Instagram - RADAR, University of Loughborough, Olympic Park, London, UK
2022 The Archive of an Unseen - Wellcome Collection, London, UK​
2021 Swinging In The Wind - Sex With Cancer Online
2021 The Cared For Network - Careful Networks Online
​2021 Swinging in the Wind - The Gallery, DeMontford University Leicester, UK
​2021 / 2022 What You Do Not See - Hounslow Library, London, UK
​2020 Visions in the Nunnery - Visions
2020 Bow Arts, London UK
​2020 The Future is Loading - Shape Open 2020, Online
​2019 THE IDLE INDEX - Phoenix Leicester Arts Centre/The Gallery - De Montfort University/Attenborough Arts Centre​
2017 LoveArt - New Walk Museum and Art Gallery
2017 Emancipation? - Attenborough Arts Centre
2016 Outside In National: Radical Craft - Alternative Ways of Making
​2013 Impact Art Fair. Block 336, Brixton, London
​2013 Outside In: Central - Compton Verney Art Gallery
​2013 N22OPENSTUDIOS - The Chocolate Factory, Clarendon Road, London
​2012-13 Outside In: National - Pallant House Gallery, Chichester​
2012 Shape Open - Portobello Gallery 6 Thorpe Close London​
2012 Tight Modern - Touring
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SELECTED COMMISSIONS​
2023/2026 Watch Us Lead - 20/20 UAL: Decolonising the Arts Institute, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham, UK
2023 Everywhere and Nowhere - National Trust, Research Centre for Museums and Galleries, and University of Leicester, UK
​2020 The Full Light of Day - VAE Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
​2019 THE IDLE INDEX - Phoenix Leicester Arts Centre/The Gallery - De Montfort University/Attenborough Arts Centre
2018-19 AB&B COMMISSION - Welcome Inn - , AB&B - Blackpool, UK
​2019 DMU Mentor Awards, De Montfort University
​2014 The Lodge Hotel - Hereward College
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RESIDENCIES
20/20 UAL: Decolonising the Arts Institute, Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, Birmingham, UK
2024 Arthouse Print Residency, The Arthouse, Wakefield, UK
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TALKS / LECTURES / CONFERENCES​
2025 Neurodiversity, Disability and the Artworld Today - Panel Discussion / Manchester International Festival 2025, Manchester
2025 Royal Society: Disability Technology Report Launch Event
2025 Accessible Design Talks: Accessible luxury: making sense of inclusive design
2025 SSC: DIsability and the Arts - Artist Talk / Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester
2025 Different - Community Project Public Event / Birmingham City University, Birmingham
2025 NSEAD National Art and Design Education Conference 2025: Designing a learner-centred & contemporary curriculum - Keynote Speaker / Online
2025 Disability Arts Online: Towards New Worlds - In Conversation / Online
2025 Archiving the Unseen - Artist Talk / MAIA Weekender, Birmingham
2025 Opal 22: All Shades of Brown Creative Conference - Panel Discussion / Birmingham
2024 Global Leadership Exchange - Artists Talk / London
2024 Birmingham Community Researchers Seminar - Artist Talk / Birmingham
2024 Reducing Disability Inequalities Summit: Christopher Samuel: In Search of Autonomy - Artist Talk / / Birmingham
2024 Fireside Chats - Artist Talk / Podcast
2024 Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art: Hearing From Artists: Towards New Worlds - Artist Talk / Online
2024 SHIFT Curator Tour - Curator Tour / Nottingham Castle
2024 SSC: DIsability and the Arts - Artist Talk / Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester
2024 MacIntyre Academies Staff Conference 2024 - Artist Talk & Workshop / Coventry
2024 The Human Library - Talk / Birmingham Disability Festival
2024 Visual Arts South West: In Practice, Disability Representation in the Visual Arts - Artist Talk / Online
2024 Assembly the Black Country: Black Box: From Out of the Back Room Into the Light - A-N Teach In / Online
2024 DAC: Cwrdd Meeting - Only if you're comfortable: Vivian Rhule in conversation with artist Christopher Samuel - In Conversation / Online
2023 SSC: DIsability and the Arts - Artist Talk / Attenborough Arts Centre, Leicester
2023 Referentiality: Towards a Decentered Future: Research Seminar / Museum of History of Architecture, University College London
2023 National Trust: Curatorial Masterclass - Talk & Workshop / Online
2023 Quality Dis/Abled Seminar - Artist Talk / British Art Network / Online
2023 Never Enough Time: iJADE Conference 2023 - Keynote Speaker / Online
2023 Workability: National Trust Conference: Panel Discussion / Cheshire
2023 Everywhere and Nowhere Seminar - Seminar / School of Museums Studies, University of Leicester
2023 Museums & Heritage Conference - Panel Discussion with RCMG / Gateshead
2023 Towards a Decentered Future: MoHoA AHRC Research Networking Event - In Conversation with Nana Ocran / Museum of History of Architecture UCL, London
2023 Unseen: Archiving the Hidden Black Disabled Experience: In Conversation / Wellcome Collection London and Online
2023 Object Memory: Artist Talk / Phoenix Leicester
2023 Open College of the Arts & The Human LIbrary: Artist Talk / Online​​
2022 Unlimited Festival 2022: Artist Talk / Southbank Centre, London
2022 TATE MODERN LATES: Art Chats with Senior Creative Producer, Liat Rosenthal
2022 DANC Hybrid Networking event @ HOME Manchester
2022 Attenborough Art Centre: Artist talk​​
2021 DANC Jennifer Gilbert / Disabled Artists Networking Community / Plus Tate Network​
2021 Exploring Research: Nothing About Us Without Us, The Wellcome Collection
2021 Cities: The City in British Art Working Class British Arts Network
2021 Museums on Prescription National Portrait Gallery / Tate Online
2021 A Conversation on Sex with Cancer Sex With Cancer / Battersea Arts Centre
2021 The Creative Manifesto Assembly / University of the Arts London
2021 Artist’s Talk What You Do Not See / Hounslow Library
2021​ Critical and Creative Approaches to Disability / Illinois State University​​
2020 Diversity in Architecture Loughborough University - Lu-arc Summer Discussion Series
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