Sam Laughlin is a British visual artist whose recent practice is primarily concerned with intricate natural processes quietly unfolding through time in patterns and cycles. Mainly utilising large format black and white photography, his work is characterised by a sustained and informed engagement with nature.
Laughlin has exhibited widely including at Towner Gallery, John Hansard Gallery, Jerwood Space, Impressions Gallery and Belfast Exposed. In 2017 he was awarded the Jerwood/Photoworks award and in 2023 his series 'Spinning Away’ was awarded juror's choice at the Hariban Awards. He works mainly on personal projects, sometimes in the form of commissions, most recently GRAIN Projects. In 2024 Laughlin was the inaugural artist in residence with Borders Forest Trust. He is currently based in rural Somerset.
E-mail: sam@samlaughlin.co.uk
Instagram: @samlaughlin90
Awards / Commissions / Residencies
- Borders Forest Trust Artist in Residence, Scotland.
- Hariban Awards 2023. Juror’s Choice Award
- GRAIN Projects ‘Rural’ Commission
- Towner Art Gallery - Sussex Commission Award
- Jerwood/Photoworks Award
- Danny Wilson Memorial Award
- John Hansard Gallery, Southampton, UK
- Reginald Salisbury Award
Selected Exhibitions
- Serchia Gallery, Bristol, UK
- Towner Art Gallery, Eastbourne, UK
- Impressions Gallery. Bradford, UK
- Belfast Exposed. Belfast, UK
- Jerwood Space. London, UK
- John Hansard Gallery. Southampton, UK
- Sam Laughlin: Selected Works. Regency Town House, BPF16. Brighton, UK
- Lago. Tratalias, Sardinia, Italy
- Rotterdam Contemporary. Rotterdam, Netherlands
- Expositieruimte 38CC. Delft, Netherlands
- BCJEM Biennale of Young Artists. Fabbrica Del Vappore, Milan, Italy
- Two Queens Gallery. UK Young Artists Festival. Leicester, UK
- Fotofilmic 13. Positive/Negative Gallery. Vancouver, Canada
- Third Floor Gallery (Diffusion Festival fringe). Cardiff, UK
- Rebuilt Histories. Rizhoma. Milan, Italy
- Architecture as Monument. Cambridge University, UK
- Ambika P3. London, UK
- Wales Millennium Centre. Cardiff, UK
- Platform. Bristol Diving School. Bristol, UK
- When The Night Falls. KIK. Kolderveen, Netherlands
Selected Press & Interviews / Essays
Source Magazine, Emergence Magazine, De Volkskrant, British Journal of Photography, Photoworks, Photomonitor, Elephant Magazine, Vice Magazine, Hotshoe Magazine.
- https://jhg.art/video/sam-laughlin-in-conversation/
- http://bit.do/Jerwood-Tim-Clark-Essay
- https://www.photomonitor.co.uk/a-certain-movement/
- https://photoworks.org.uk/video-interview-jerwood-photoworks-awardee-sam-laughlin/
- http://theheavycollective.com/2020/02/09/qa-sam-laughlin-slow-time-a-certain-movement/