Ro Robertson

Ro Robertson

Bio

Ro Robertson (they/them) (b. Sunderland 1984) is a contemporary artist based in West Cornwall. Robertson’s practice spans sculpture, drawing, painting and video, mediums through which they explore the boundaries of the human body and its environment.

My practice is committed to cyclical processes straddling sculpture, drawing and performance- crossing back and forth between inner and outer landscapes. Physical explorations of the natural landscape feed into ‘automatic’ abstract sculptures, drawings, and short mediative video works. Robertson’s often large-scale sculptures embed the fluidity of their cyclical practice into rigid and industrial materials such as Corten steel and marine paint, materials that bridge their family heritage of ship building and their sculptural practice. Automatism and abstraction are used as tools to navigate away from rigid and binary understandings and violent gaps in our shared Queer histories. Modern Thresholds: Ro Robertson, a site-responsive display of drawing and sculpture is currently on view at Tate St Ives until December 2025. Robertson’s public sculpture Drench, inspired by the energy of the tidal zone, was exhibited in Regent’s Park, London as part of Frieze Sculpture 2022 and is now on view at the Sainsbury Centre’s Sculpture Park. Robertson’s first public sculpture Stone (Butch) was commissioned for the 10th edition of ‘Sculpture in the City’ 2021-22. Stone (Butch) is now installed at Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield, where it is part of the permanent collection. Upcoming exhibitions include Forbidden Territories at The Hepworth Wakefield.

Selected Works