About

My working practices stems from curiosity about navigation and looking at the ways we find ourselves in place or space, or displacement and re-placement. My work is rooted most simply in the land and our relationship to the horizon and how we orientate to it: where does the sun rise and set, what is up or down? Understanding where we are “out there,” is a primary way in which we all locate ourselves in relationship to being in time. I suggest that many paths or routes are simultaneously possible and that different paths might have different outcomes. In that, I join in our human propensity towards making maps or records of journeys and in documenting those journeys with data in order to verify and to share our individual experience of navigating from a beginning to a culmination. As a migrant to a new country, I think about how we respond to the unexpected territories we arrive in, and to the inner reorganization that is necessary to adapt while moving and migrating and ecology and the ecologies of place that the land holds and that we imprint in the land.

Education and Residencies
  • School of the Art Institute of Chicago—MFA
  • School of the Art Institute of Chicago—BFA
  • University of Pennsylvania—BA
  • International School of Art, Montecastello di Vibio—resident artist
Exhibitions
  • England is A Forest, Sluice Vernacular, The Minories, Colchester, England, 2024
  • In Praise of Birds, United Artists, Bower Ashton Library, University of the West of England Bristol, UK, 2024
  • SOS Spring Exhibition, Snape Gallery, Snape, England, 2024
  • Sarah Figlio/John Hopes—The Craft House, Woodbridge, England, 2024
  • Sarah Figlio—Holloways, 142 Gallery, Felixstowe, UK, 2023
  • Ipwich Print Week, Whistler Gallery, Ipswich, England, 2023 and 2022

  • Postcards for Perec: Two Hundred and Forty-Three Postcards in Real Colour,
    curated by Linda Parr

    University of the West of England, Bower Ashton Library, Bristol, July – August 2021
    University of Southampton, Winchester School of Art, September 2021
    Bath Spa University, The Street Gallery, January 2022
    Bristol Artists’ Book Fair BABE at Bower Ashton, April 2022
    Cardiff University, Special Collections Library, May 2022 – January 2023
    Architecture and Design Exhibition, Istanbul, Turkey, October 2022
    University of Puget Sound, Collins Memorial Library, Washington, USA, November – December 2022
    University of Essex, Special Collections Library, Colchester, February – April 2023
    Eastern Mediterranean University, Famagusta, Cyprus, May 2023
    Waverley Library, Sydney, Australia, July – August 2023

  • We Remember, United Artists, Bower Ashton Library, University of the West of England Bristol, England, 2023

  • Summer Exhibition—Suffolk Open Studios, 142 Gallery, Felixstowe, England, 2022

  • SOS Spring Exhibtion, Pond Gallery, Snape, UK, 2022

  • Winter Exhibition, The Printroom, Sweffling,England, 2021
  • BABE 2021|The Lost Weekend, Tom Sowden’s tribute to John Baldessari, Arnolfini Gallery online, Bristol, England, April 2021
  • Letters from A Strange Year, curated by Paul Anderson Morrow and Sarah Needham,
    Vôut Vintage, London, England, 04/2021
  • The Great Big Art Exhibition, Firstsite Museum online, Colchester,England, launched
    by Andrew Gormley, 01–05/2021
  • Lockdown and Light, landscapeandlight.org, curated by Jane Watt Projects and
    David Baldry, 2020 and 2021
  • The Love Show, FRANKENSTONE GALLERY, Chicago, Illinois, 2014
  • Textifying, FRANKENSTONE GALLERY, Chicago, Illinois, 2014
  • Creatives, OLD TOWN SCHOOL OF FOLK MUSIC—Chicago, Illinois, 2010
  • Sarah Figlio, Elaine Miller, Philip Petrie, Paul Rinaldi—ADDINGTON GALLERY,
    Chicago, Illinois 2005
  • Darkness Visible: Sarah Figlio, Dan Gamble, Dann Witczak, SUBURBAN FINE ARTS CENTER—Highland Park, Illinois, 2004
  • Darkness Visible: Sarah Figlio, Dan Gamble, Dann Witczak, IL WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY— Bloomington, Illinois, 2004
  • Small is Beautiful, KARAN RUHLEN GALLERY—Santa Fe, New Mexico, 2003
  • Sarah Figlio and Vera Scekic: Small Works, 3ARTS CLUB—Chicago, Illinois, 2003
  • Small Works, HARPER COLLEGE—Palatine, Illinois, 2003
  • Sarah Figlio, Interval, HYDE PARK ART CENTER — Chicago, Illinois, 2003
  • Fresh Paint, KARAN RUHLEN GALLERY—Santa Fe, New Mexico, 2002
  • The Chicago and Vicinity Show with a Bias, KLEINART GALLERY—Chicago, Illinois, 2001
  • Sarah Figlio, Penumbral, RIVERSIDE ART CENTER—Riverside, Illinois, 2001
  • New Talent, CONTEMPORARY ART WORKSHOP—Chicago, Illinois, 1999
  • Sarah Figlio, Liminal, SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO—
    Chicago, Illinois, 1999
  • Sarah Figlio, New Work, Ford Center for the Performing Arts/Oriental Theater,
    VIP GALLERY— Chicago, Illinois, 1999
  • NSUSAIC Sixth Annual Exhibition/Part 2, NIPPON STEEL USA—Chicago, Illinois, 1999
  • NSUSAIC Sixth Annual Exhibition/Part 1, NIPPON STEEL USA—Chicago, Illinois, 1998
  • Belonging(s), 1926 EXHIBITION STUDIES CENTER, School of the Art Institute of
    Chicago—Chicago, Illinois, 1998
  • Letterpress, JOHN M. FLAXMAN LIBRARY, School of the Art Institute of Chicago,
    Chicago, Illinois, 1998
  • Apocalypse Now and Then: Art and the End of Time, DEPAUL UNIVERSITY ART
    GALLERY— Chicago, Illinois, 1998
  • Torri Dawistamento, SOCIETÀ ARTE STORIA—Palazzo Priori—Tarquinia, Italy, 1997
  • Artists of the Summer, GALLERIA ISA, Montescastello di vibio, Italy, 1997
  • Small Works Invitational, AN ART PLACE—Chicago, Illinois, 1997
  • Le Petit, ALDER GALLERY—Eugene, Oregon, 1996
  • Stateline and Vicinity, ROCKFORD ART MUSEUM—Rockford, Illinois, 1994
  • Landscapes, CONTEMPORARY ARTCENTER—Arlington Heights, Illinois, 1993
  • New Faces, Numerous Places, GALLERY 1800—Chicago, Illinois, 1992
  • Sarah Figlio, Landscapes, THE BROADWAY ARTS CENTER—Chicago, Illinois, 1991
  • Sarah Figlio, Quotidian Alterations, GRAND STREET GALLERY—Chicago, Illinois, 1991
  • Chips Off a New Block, GALLERY II, School of the Art Institute of Chicago—
    Chicago, Illinois, 1990
  • Window to the Imagination, GALLERY II, School of the Art Institute of Chicago—
    Chicago, Illinois,1989
  • Open Walls, GALLERY 1633—Chicago, Illinois, 1989
  • Figure & Ground, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA GALLERY—Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 1987
Projects and Practices
  • Beach Party,  https://beachparty.sarahfiglio.com ongoing from 2012
  • What Three Words: Gifts in a Time of Isolation, 2020
  • The Exodus Sale, 2017
  • 365 (RE) Affirmations, a blog project by Sarah Figlio, 17/072014 to 17/072015
  • Be the Beach 08/2012, published with text by Blurb books
  • Exiles and Protectors, 2008
Bibliography

  • Postcards for Perec, Bulletin No. 78 of the Association Georges Perec 2021

  • Postcards for Perec ‘Patastrophe! #5 published by Surrealerpool, ISBN 9781910467220

  • Postcards for Perec, Printmaking Today, Vol 31 Winter 2022 Issue 124

  • Postcards for Perec, photo-essay published online in Axon Journal: Creative Explorations Text/ Page/Art 13-1 July 2023

  • Postcards for Perec ISBN 978-1-906501-21-1 is in the National Art Library, Victoria & Albert Museum, London and the Newberry Library, Chicago, USA

  • John Brunetti, Catalog essay, “DARKNESS VISIBLE,” 04/2003
  • Chicago Sun-Times, Lisa Lenoir,“A SHINING ACHIEVEMENT,” review and interview, Liminal at Hyde Park Art Center, 08/06/2003
  • The New Mexican, Lynn Cline, “BALANCING ACT,” review, 04/2003
  • The Santa Fe Reporter, “FRESH PAINT,” review of 02/05/2002
  • Victor M. Cassidy, Artnet.com, “PRAIRIE SMOKE,” review, Chicago and Vicinity Show
    with a Bias, Kleinart Gallery, 03/012002
  • The Chicago Reader, Deanna Isaacs, “BETTER WHEN BRUISED,” review of Penumbral at Riverside Art Gallery, 02/11/ 2001
  • James Elkins, “BANDAGES,” Exhibition essay for Penumbral at Riverside Art Gallery 10/2001
  • Art and Performance, Jung Won Kim, “IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD,” 03/1998
  • The DePaul Magazine, Jolly R. Sood, “APOCALYPTIC EXHIBIT OPENS AT MCGAW”, 27/02/1998
  • 8:48, WBEZ FM, Richard Steele, radio interview about Apocalypse Now and Then: Art and the End of Time, at Depaul University Gallery, 10/02/1998
  • Louise Lincoln, Exhibition essay, “ART AND THE END OF TIME,” at Depaul University
    Gallery, 01/1998
  • New City, Vol.12/No.500, Keith O’Brien, “APOCALYPSE NOW”, at Depaul University
    Gallery, 01/1998
  • Art Beat Chicago, WTTW, Channel 11, “THE BEAT GOES ON”, interview about Apocalypse Now and Then: Art and the End of Time, at Depaul University Gallery, 19/01/1998
  • DePaul University NewsLine, Vol.29/No.6, “ART EXHIBIT PLUMBS THE WORLD’S END”, 01/1998
  • Spazio Virtuale di Arte e Comunicazione, David Cirese, “AGGREGAZIONI/
    COSTELLAZIONE DELLA TORRE”, 16/07/1997
Public Collections
  • Joan Flasch Artist Books Collection
  • International School of Art
  • Banque Paribas
  • Rockford Art Museum
  • World Book Publishing
Grants and Awards
  • Individual Artist Grant, twice received, CHICAGO DEPARTMENT OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS—Chicago, Illinois
  • Arthur Anderson Scholarship, SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO,
    Chicago, Illinois
  • Dean‘s Scholarship, SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO,
    Chicago, Illinois
  • Lalla Critz Zanzi Scholarship, SCHOOL OF THE ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO,
    Chicago, Illinois