Born 1974 Hong Kong (1975 – 2004 Melbourne, Australia). Currently lives and works in London, United Kingdom
EDUCATION
1993–97
BA Fine Art, Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology, Melbourne
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2020
Transparent Things, Goldsmiths CCA, London (group)
Figurines, Mossman, Wellington (solo)
2019
A distant relative, Hopkinson Mossman, Wellington (group)
Renee So: Ancient and Modern, De La Warr Pavilion, East Sussex (solo)
Bootlegs and Bellarmines, Henry Moore Institute, Leeds (solo)
Idols, Fremantle Arts Centre, Perth Festival (group)
2018
MEISENFLOO, Norma Mangione, Turin (group)
The London Open 2018, Whitechapel Gallery, London (group)
2017
Fifteen, Kate McGarry, London (group)
Iconoclasts: Art Out of the Mainstream, Saatchi Gallery, London (group)
In Search of Miss Ruthless, Para Site, Hong Kong (group)
2016
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney (two-person)
Nicola Faruhar & Renee So, Hopkinson Mossman, Auckland (two-person)
Kate MacGarry, London (solo)
2015
Feets, Don’t Fail Me Now, Belmacz, London (group)
Busts, Hopkinson Mossman, Auckland (group)
One Day, Something Happens: Paintings Of People (curated by Jennifer Higgie), The Arts Council Collection, Leeds Art Gallery, Leeds (group)
2014
Selected By (curated by Michael Marriott and Jesse Wine), Limoncello, London (group)
2013
Kalimanrawlins, Victoria (group)
A Conspiracy of Detail, Mackintosh Museum, Glasgow School of Art, Glasgow (group)
2012
Kate MacGarry, London (solo)
Spazio Cabinet, Milan (group)
Marc Jancou, Geneva (solo)
2011
Barbuto, Hopkinson Cundy, Auckland (solo)
The Keno Twins 4, Villa Merkel und Bahnwärterhaus, Esslingen (group)
2010
Bellarmines, Uplands Gallery, Melbourne (solo)
2009
Renee So, Kate MacGarry, London (solo)
2008
Renee So, Uplands Gallery, Melbourne (solo)
Revolving Doors: an exhibition in memory of Blair Trethowan, Uplands Gallery, Melbourne (group)
Opera Rock, Musee de Art Contemporain de Bordeaux, Bordeaux (group)
Reflecting Elephants, Kate MacGarry, London (group)
2007
SV07 Studio Voltaire, London (selected by Polly Staple, Christabel Stewart, Stuart Corner) (group)
Neointegrity, Derek Eller Gallery, New York (group)
2006
The Small Painting Show, Ulrich Museum of Art, Wichita State University, Kansas (group)
Satellite (curated by Richard Thomas, official Shanghai Biennale event)
Family Resemblance, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne (group)
The Schanck Show, Cape Schanck, Melbourne (group)
Meeting Place, The Arts Centre, Melbourne (curated by Steven Tonkin)
2005
Kaliman Gallery, Sydney (group)
A Re-Constructed World, Linden – St Kilda Centre for Contemporary Arts, Melbourne (group)
A Short Ride in a Fast Machine 1985–2005, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, Melbourne (group)
Falls Creek Inaugural Artists Camp, Falls Creek (group)
Echoes of Home, Museum of Brisbane, Brisbane, Cairns Regional Gallery, QLD; Orange Regional Gallery, NSW; Fremantle Arts Centre, WA; Geraldton Regional Art Gallery, WA; Ivan Dougherty Gallery, College of Fine Art, NSW; Goulburn Regional Art Gallery, NSW; RMIT Gallery, VIC (group, curated by Christine Clarke)
2004
The Infinite Fill Show, Foxy Productions, New York (group, curated by Cory Arcangel)
Xin Nian, National Gallery of Victoria Australia, Melbourne (group, curated by Anonda Bell)
Asian Traffic Gallery 4A, Sydney (official Biennale of Sydney event), Esplanade, Singapore; Today Art Museum, Beijing Duolun Art Museum, Shanghai; OCTA Contemporary Art Museum, Shenzhen; Hong Kong Arts Centre, Hong Kong
2003
Close Knit, Craft Victoria, Melbourne (solo)
Close Knit II, Studio 12, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, Melbourne (solo)
CCB Auction, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney (group)
The Freedman Foundation Exhibition, Sir Hermann Black Gallery, University of Sydney (group)
Calibre Art Project, Calibre, Sydney (group)
We Don’t Charge For Looking, Block Gallery, Sydney (group)
2002
Simple Pleasures, Gallery 4A, Sydney (solo)
Flock Culture, Studio 12, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, Melbourne (solo)
Gertrude Studio Artists, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, Melbourne (group)
Departures, BUS, Melbourne (group)
2001
Gertrude Studio Artists, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, Melbourne
Yarns, Jewish Museum of Australia, Melbourne (group)
Tougher than Art, First Floor, Melbourne (group)
Sample, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Melbourne
2000
Inspirational Contents of Living, Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces, Melbourne (solo)
Insects (in collaboration with Nathan Gray), TCB art inc., Melbourne (solo)
Blink, Australian Centre for Contemporary Art, Melbourne
1999
Craftyknitwit, TCB art inc., Melbourne (solo)
Momenta, Geelong Art Gallery, Geelong
Bill Posters Will NOT Be Prosecuted! Federation Square Hoardings Project, Melbourne
1998
Fifty Record Players, Institute of Modern Art, Brisbane
RESIDENCIES
2019 West Dean College of Arts and Conservation Artist-in-Residence
2004 Australia Council – London Studio Residency
2001 Gertrude Contemporary Art Spaces – Studio Residency
AWARDS AND PRIZES
2003
The Freedman Foundation Travelling Scholarship for Emerging Artists
Craft Victoria Artists’ Grant
2000
Australia Council Grant – New Work
Pat Corrigan Artists’ Grant
SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Gilda Williams, ‘Renee So’, Art Forum, April 2012, p.221-2
Sally O’Reilly, ‘Renee So’, Frieze, Issue 146, April 2012, p.140
Skye Sherwin, ‘Artist of the week 175: Renee So’, Guardian, 2 February 2012
Pavel S. Pys, ‘On the World Stage: Renee So’, Australian Art Collector, Issue 55, Jan-March 2011, p.117
Helen Sumpter, ‘Charles Saatchi unveils a new Britart generation’, Time Out London, November 11-17 2010, p.55
Claudia Clare, ‘Material Return’, Ceramic Review, Jan/Feb 2010, pp.50-3
Jennifer Higgie, ‘Nine heads and the difference in eyes’, Uplands catalogue, 2008
Dylan Rainforth, ‘Renee So, Uplands Gallery’, The Age, 20 April 2008
Megan Backhouse, ‘Renee So, Uplands Gallery’, The Age, 19 April 2008
Holland Cotter, ‘When the Curator Is Also an Artist, Go Ahead, Expect Surprises’, The New York Times, 09/08/2007.
Artist page, Neointegrity, catalogue, 2007
Artist pages, Picnic magazine, 2007
Rhana Davenport, ‘Beauty, Shadow-Play and Silhouettes’ Art and Australia, Summer 2006
Ashley Crawford, “Mountain Falls for the Arts”, review, The Age, 04/11/2006.
Mark Feary, The Schank Show, catalogue, 2006
Tai Snaith, “Escape to Cape Shag”, review, Architecture Australia, 03/2006.
Rebecca Chew, Family Resemblance, catalogue, 2006
Steven Tonkin, Meeting Place, catalogue, 2006
Aaron Seeto, ‘Knitted Masks: Renee So’, Object #47, 2005
Ashley Crawford, ‘A Re-Constructed World’, The Age, 26/06/2005
Justine Khamara, ‘A Re-Constructed World’, UN Magazine, issue 6 2005, p.46.
Andrew Gaynor, ‘A Re-Constructed World’, catalogue, 2005
Joanne Besley, ‘Echoes of Home’, catalogue, 2005
Brigitte Cameron, ‘The Knitting Train’, Artlink, vol 25 no. 1, 2005
Gary Carsley, ‘Asian Traffic’, Broadsheet vol 33 no. 4 12/2004-02/2005
Anonda Bell, Xin Nian, catalogue, 2004
Annemarie Kiely, ‘The Resurgence of Craft’, Belle June/July 2003
Lucinda Strahan, ‘Gertrude Studios 2002’, Broadsheet vol 23 no. 1 03/2003
‘Art Central to Close-Knit Family’, The Weekly Times, 26/02/2003
Alison Barclay, ‘Art Reclaims Cultured Purl’, The Herald-Sun, 05/02/2003
‘Close-Knit Kin on Board’, The Melbourne Yarra Leader, 04/02/2003
Peter Hill, ‘Raise the Baa’, review, The Sydney Morning Herald, 08/11/2002
Natalie King, Yarns, catalogue, 2002
Gabriella Coslovich, ‘To So and Knit – It’s an Art’, The Age, 01/12/2001
Kevin Murray, ‘Patience’, Craft Magazine vol 32 no. 24, 01/2001
Mark Feary, Tougher than Art, catalogue, 2001
Rebecca Chew, Sample, catalogue, 2001
Samantha Comte, Inspirational Contents of Living, catalogue, 2000
Artists’ Talk: Issues Facing Australian Artists, Westspace, 2000