Sarah Kent – Critic, Curator, Artist Talk
Sarah Kent studied painting and printmaking at the Slade School of Fine Art and art history at University College London. She is a writer, curator and artist who played a central role in shaping the critical reception of contemporary art in Britain from the 1980s onwards.
Formerly Visual Arts Editor of Time Out for three decades, she wrote extensively for publications including Studio International, Art in America, Modern Painters, Flash Art and The Brooklyn Rail. She was an early and influential supporter of the Young British Artists, writing exhibition texts for the Saatchi Gallery and authoring Shark Infested Waters (Philip Wilson).
Kent has curated widely, including over 50 exhibitions as Director of Exhibitions at the Institute of Contemporary Arts, the British section of the 1986 Sydney Biennale, and Whistling Women at the Royal Festival Hall. She pioneered the now-common format of artists’ talks and has served on juries for the Turner Prize, New Contemporaries and the Photographic Portrait Prize.
Alongside her critical work, she maintains an active artistic practice spanning drawing, photography and performance. She is a frequent broadcaster and reviewer, and since 2022 has worked as part of the artist duo Head on a Plate Projects. She continues to write for The Arts Desk while focusing primarily on her own practice.
Become a member to access these monthly conversations on Zoom. Membership is free for the first month then £1 per month thereafter.