Phil Root

MAY DAY: 'Fired' install pics As the final show in 'WHEEL', the year-long series I've been curating with the studios community at Spike, this one holds a special place in my heart <3 "For millennia, fire has been used as a tool of protection, with the first records of Beltane in 10th century Gaelic Irish literature telling of Druids ritualistically leading cattle between bonfires to protect herds from disease. With its early tradition of apotropaic magic used as a tool in the seasonal movement of animals, Beltane is a festival of the workers; protecting the hard work of food production that kept communities alive, and signalling the first glimpses of harvest on the horizon. This earthy, anarchic festival has survived for thousands of years, its protective rituals adapting to the evolving needs of the people. In 2024 the Arts Council of Northern Ireland found that, when compared to the national average, artists earn 40% less, feel 28% less life-satisfaction, experience 75% higher levels of stress, and feel that their work is 16.1% less worthwhile than those in other industries. With low income, poor job quality, low social protection and expectations of overwork without remuneration found to be common in the working lives of artists and arts workers by EENCA, almost 80% of arts and culture workers reported reaching crisis point due to burn-out in 2025. Responding to the rising pressure faced by arts workers while looking to the protective magic practiced for millenia in May, 'Fired' brings together work exploring burn-out and working conditions in the arts today. Thinking about the creation of ceramics and stoneware as a commonly-practiced fire ritual, the exhibition looks for the traces of labour left in artworks, creating an air pocket within which to consider how, in the current sector, we can better protect ourselves and each other." Artists: @eleanor_duffin @marymaidaflower @_rodneyharris @clovisvosser @philroot @hollyw.richards @lindaze Fabrication: @_counterwork Install: @clenaghanfergal Love and support: @saphia.a.venner @oliviaflojones @spikeisland Image 3: Photography by Lisa Whiting Image 4: Photography by Linda Zagidulina

I’ve been meaning to get this t-shirt printed for years! In 2021 I hand-painted the t-shirt in picture 2 for my friend Mike who likes football. In 2023 I made the drawing in picture 3 in a fit of enthusiasm for heraldry after going to a medieval festival. @philroot helped me make the tile in picture 4 a couple of years ago. And I made the linocut in picture 5 last year as a tribute to my favourite pub. Picture 6 is a close-up of the new t-shirt which is just a reflection of my love of medieval heraldry and therefore infringes upon no copyright. Phew! It’s on my shop now if you’re interested.

A beautiful moment on the edge of Dartmoor

May Day: 'Fired' opens this evening, 6–9pm, before continuing all weekend as part of Spike Island Open Studios 🤝 Responding to the rising pressure faced by arts workers while looking to the protective magic practiced for millenia in May, ‘Fired’ brings together work exploring burn out and working conditions in the arts today. Thinking about the creation of ceramics and stoneware as a commonly-practiced fire ritual, the exhibition looks for the traces of labour left in artworks, creating an air pocket within which to consider how, in the current sector, we can better protect ourselves and each other. Featuring work by Eleanor Duffin, Mary Flower, Rod Harris, Phil Root, Lewis Prosser, Holly Williams-Richards and Linda Zagidulina Free and open to all alongside an incredible building-wide programme put together by wonderful @saphia.a.venner Feature image: Lyde Green Pottery, photography by Troy Baird

Spend a day at Modern Painters, New Decorators! 
Saturday 9 May 2026 Join us for a day of film, food and conversation — alongside our current exhibitions. 🎬 Film Screening: Taste of the Land
10:30am–12pm
The final event in our Shifting Landscapes series (with Emergence Magazine), this film follows filmmaker Kalyanee Mam returning to Cambodia, tracing connections between land, memory and ecological change. Followed by a relaxed discussion. 🥗 Artist Social
1pm–3pm
Join us for a free, informal gathering with and for artists. Your ticket includes a vegetarian lunch prepared by @foodbycorita , with teas and coffees available throughout. A chance to connect, share ideas and spend time together in the space. 🖼 Exhibitions
Flat Earth by Phil Root — ceramic works made from foraged and industrial materials, shaped by heat, atmosphere and process.
The Sick Rose by Jamie Seymour — a symbolic world of paintings and sculptural forms reflecting on visibility, anxiety and being seen. — Free events — booking required 
Find out more and book via our website:
/ #MPND #Loughborough #WhatsOnLboro #ArtistLed #FreeEvents

🌍 Marking Earth Day 🌍 The Kingfisher | Saturday 9 May ⁠ We’re showcasing an exhibition at Create Centre (@create_centre ) this May. Find out about the 13 major artworks commissioned for the new NHS Kingfisher inpatient service, supporting adults with complex mental health needs who are autistic and/or have a learning disability.⁠ ⁠ Created in close collaboration with patients, NHS staff, and people with lived experience, many of the works draw inspiration from the natural environment in and around the hospital, responding to the sensory world of the ward and bringing creativity, calm, and hope into clinical spaces.⁠ ⁠ Explore behind the scenes: from artist sketches and plans to artworks developed through collaborative workshops. Gain rare insight into how meaningful public art is shaped within mental health settings.⁠ ⁠ Featuring artists Peter Adjaye (@music4architecture ), Rubbena Aurangzeb-Tariq (@rubbena_art ), Hannah Brown (@hannahbrownartist ), Victoria Cantons (@victoriacantons ), Dhaqan Collective (@dhaqancollective ), Angela Harding (@angelaharding11 ), Christopher Hartmann (@hartmann.christopher ), Mohammed Imran Khan (@actionspace ), Chris Rose & Louise Morgan (@aim.artinmotion ), Phil Root (@philroot ) with Bristol Autism Spectrum Service, Veronica Ryan, and Boo Saville (@boosaville ).⁠ ⁠ Exhibition: The Kingfisher ⁠ 🗓 Saturday 9 May – Thursday 21 May⁠ 📍 Create Centre, Bristol⁠ ⁠ Free to visit. All welcome.⁠ ⁠ #EarthDay #HospitalRooms #BristolExhibition #ArtAndMentalHealth

Flat Earth by Phil Root
at Modern Painters, New Decorators Flat Earth brings together new ceramic works shaped by foraged and industrial materials — unprocessed clay, wood ash and brick dust — gathered from sites in and around Bristol. Working with clay as an active material, Root allows surfaces to shift and settle through casting and firing. Glazes pool, crack and transform in the kiln, recording the conditions of their making — shaped by heat, atmosphere and time. References to medieval tilework, street surfaces and construction sites run throughout the exhibition, bringing together local materials, historic processes and contemporary approaches to ceramics. On view now! 
Thu–Sat, 10am–3pm
Aumberry Gap, Loughborough #MPND #PhilRoot #Ceramics #Loughborough #ContemporaryArt

Firing pots using only wood to heat our kiln, at the serene Lyde Green Pottery in Bristol, with Phil @philroot Petros @earthwatersoul_ceramics Amy @opposable.hands Siobhan @siobhan_joan_ceramics Francesca @crude_studio_ Elise @eliseashby Jonathan @jonomakespots and Kiran @kchauhanuk . . . @lydegreenpottery #woodfiring #potterykiln #bristolpottery

🎉 WIN FORWARDS TICKETS, ORIGINAL ARTWORKS AND MORE! 🎟️ To celebrate 50 years of Spike Island, we’re launching a special anniversary raffle—a chance to win incredible prizes while directly supporting our studio spaces. By entering the raffle, you are helping us keep the spirit of Spike Island alive by maintaining affordable studio spaces, supporting artists in their career and sustaining Bristol’s creative community for the future 🤝 Win prizes from from three categories: 🖼️ Own an Artwork 🎁 Food and Gifts 🎪 Events and Experiences ✨ With festival tickets, original artworks, restaurant vouchers, sauna sessions, art fair passes and much more up for grabs, support Spike Island today and be in with a chance of winning prizes from some of Bristol’s most well-loved institutions and makers Buy your raffle ticket online today via the link in our bio 🔗

PART 1
A couple of weeks ago Rebeka and Petter went to UK on a research trip, travelling through Stockport, Manchester, Loughborough, Leicester, Thamesmead, Croydon, Nottingham and Cardiff.

Together with @katherineanastasia_ and @sculptureartman , they were exploring the UK’s artist-led scene while developing a long-term collaborative publishing project between @pinkmcr_ and LKV/BABEL.

‘Fangst’, a sculptural bookshelf by artist Kevin Hunt, will become a shared structure embedded in each organisation. It proposes a sustainable, low-barrier model for the circulation and distribution of printed matter between the two countries, with the ambition that it can eventually be adopted by other artist-led initiatives.

Many thanks to Modern Painters New Decorators, TwoQueens, TACO!, Turf, Primary, Beam Editions, Yellowback Books and G39 for your openness and generosity in sharing your time and insight.

@mpndprojects @twoqueensleicester @tracey_aint_coming_out @turfprojects @weareprimary @beameditions @yellowbackbooks #g39cardiff

Reopening tomorrow: Flat Earth by Phil Root
From Thursday 9 April 2026
Modern Painters, New Decorators Flat Earth brings together new ceramic works shaped by foraged and industrial materials — unprocessed clay, wood ash and brick dust — gathered from sites in and around Bristol. Rather than controlling the outcome, Root works with the conditions of making. Clay is dug, cast and fired in a wood kiln, where heat, smoke and atmosphere act as collaborators. Surfaces crack, glazes shift and pool, and each piece records its own transformation. Across the exhibition, references to medieval tilework, street surfaces and construction sites sit alongside older ceramic traditions — bringing together local materials, historic processes and contemporary approaches to making. Reopening tomorrow. Thu–Sat, 10am–3pm
Aumberry Gap, Loughborough #MPND #PhilRoot #Ceramics #Loughborough #ContemporaryArt

I September 2024 bjöd Linda Persson (då medlem, nu ateljé innehavare på ateljéhuset Pukeberg) in brittiske konstnären @philroot till Småland med stöd av @swedish_arts_grants_committee . Tanken var att dela internationellt utbyte med kollegor i småland. Vi besökte även Blekinge och @krohnskrukmakeri och Öland. "Vi var flera konstnärer och hantverkare som deltog på workshop om medeltida kakel samt föreläsning (som också var öppen för alla). Vi hade också @stephanie.verstift från @popupkitchen_boda som lagade mat eftersom att dela mat och samtal runt bordet är också en del av att lära känna varandra" Att göra saker tillsammans med konst kollegor är superviktigt. Det är så himla ofta saker anordnas med redan utvalda grupp av vänner, och då utmanas eller växer en inte. Att få möta andra konstnärskap och Dela kunskap är en superviktig del i konstnärers professionella utveckling. Nybro tidningen kom och gjorde ett litet reportage ➡️ bläddra i bilderna. Just nu har Phil Root en solo utställning vid @mpndprojects där hans processer tagit form ➡️ bläddra för att se (t.o.m 13 Juni om någon drar till Storbritannien). Som region så finns det väldigt lite stöd till konstutövare och därför är det extra viktigt att själva skapa kollegialt nätverk tillsammans med bild och form konstnärer. Linda har också startat feedback grupp där konstnärer mellan 2 olika ateljéhus möts över länsgränserna för att bredda och skapa utbyten för professionella konstnärer. #konstnärer #art #ateljehuspukeberg #philroot #professionaldevelopement