> CV / BIOGRAPHY
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I am a contemporary artist based in London. I trained in Fine Art Printmaking at both Norwich School of Art and Design and the Royal College of Art. Through sculpture, print and installation I work with the traces left by human activity and the ways in which technology, industry, and landscape intersect. I am the founder of self publishing initiative Swap Art Editions and co-director of Object | Multiple. I am a member of the Royal Society of Sculptors, and I currently hold the position of Casting Tutor in Fine Art Sculpture at Goldsmiths University of London. As well as making my own work, I regularly collaborate on commissions and fabrication projects with international artists, designers, architects and commercial clients to help fund my studio in London.
For professional enquiries, further information about my work or just to say hello: Email > robin[dot]tarbet[at]network[dot]rca[dot]ac[dot]uk Instagram > @robintarbet |
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I am an artist and collector of everyday stuff, with a playful approach to hoarding. The act of walking, finding and discovering source materials is a big part of how I engage with the world around me. I am fascinated by materials that exist on the margins: discarded objects, technological debris, and naturally occurring forms that have been overlooked, abandoned, or transformed over time. Collecting, replicating, and reconfiguring these materials allows me to play with latent histories and potential futures, deliberately blurring the boundaries between artefact, relic, and speculative object. I have a lure for failed, obsolete or perishable subject matter, and I’m interested in how the contexts of collected ephemera becomes entangled through processes of use, decay, and display.
As an avid maker of sculpture and print, casting and printmaking plays a significant role in my work as methods of both recording and transformation, and my practice often incorporates a performative ‘working in the field’ approach. I’ve always liked the idea of fossil hunting, and as a kid I really wanted to find a dinosaur footprint to fill with Plaster of Paris. It’s probably why I make sculpture - as it’s the closest thing to pouring plaster on stuff that I can get away with… My ad-hoc use of these processes enable me to preserve fleeting forms, capture evidence of a particular moment, and generate new hybrid facsimiles that challenge assumptions about authenticity, permanence, and value.
I am drawn to environments in flux and the friction of activities on the peripheries of a place. I have worked and gathered materials in a wide range of terrains, from nuclear power stations and industrial sites, to deserts and coastal landscapes. Escaping my metropolitan routine on residencies enables me to experience the wilderness, but when home in London I constantly find curious opportunities to make work. From seeing potential future fossils in shop bought processed foods to celebrating street treasures discarded right on my doorstep. These combined experiences of objects and place inform my investigations and enrich my understanding of complex relationships between memory, material culture, and the systems that shape our contemporary world.
EDUCATION:
2004-2006: MA Fine Art Printmaking at The Royal College of Art London
2001-2004: BA Hon’s Fine Art at Norwich School of Art and Design
2000-2001: Art and Design Foundation National Diploma at Trowbridge (now called The Wiltshire College)
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
06/2025: CASTAWAYS - Limbo (Margate)
03/2014: ROBIN TARBET SELECTED WORKS AT THE BLUECOAT - Upper Vide Gallery (Liverpool)
10/2012: MONITORED LANDSCAPE - Black Swan Arts Centre Frome (Somerset)
01/2010: INDIRECT LAND - Trafo Gallery (Budapest)
10/2007: MONITORED LANDSCAPE No.9 - Outpost Gallery (Norwich)
CURATED / COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS:
05/2026: Object | Multiple - A Bigger Book Fair (London)
10/2025: Object | Multiple - Bound Book Arts Fair (Manchester)
05/2025: Object | Multiple - A Bigger Book Fair (London)
12/2023: Object | Multiple - Exhibition at The Penn Theatre (London)
11/2023: Object | Multiple - Bound Book Arts Fair (Manchester)
02/2023: Object | Multiple - Camberwell Multiples Fair
08/2022: Object | Multiple - online platform for artist multiples
02/2020: SWAP Editions 5 : ISLAND Creekside Projects (London)
02/2020: ANOMALY – Duo exhibition with Mark Scott-Wood Creekside Projects (London)
02/2020: Art You An Island? Swap Editions virtual project with www.Skelf.org.uk
03/2019: SWAP Editions 4 : BREX-kit – Creekside Projects (London)
09/2018: Labour Exchange – Exhibition of 10 artists – Creekside Projects (London)
04/2018: SWAP Editions 3 : ARTIST AS MACHINE – New Shoreditch Theatre
01/2018: The Prosumer Galleries – The Great Medical Disaster (Manchester)
09/2017: SWAP Editions 2 : TRADE - Art licks / Set projects Bermondsey
03/2017: AD HOC : SWAP Editions - Castor Projects (London)
06/2016: Power In The Land X10 film screening – Mostyn Gallery (Llandudno)
10/2015: POWER IN THE LAND X10 film screening - Modern Art (Oxford)
05/2012: TOMORROW’S WORLD 2 - Project Number (London)
02/2012: TOMORROW’S WORLD - Residency and exhibition Rogue Studios Project Space (Manchester)
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
11/2025: STAGE III by LLE PROJECTS - Mirror (Plymouth)
10/2025: STAGE II by LLE PROJECTS - Bay Arts (Cardiff)
10/2025: SUMMER SHOW - Royal Society of Sculptors (London)
10/2024: TABLE TOP MUSEUM - The Art Workers Guild (London)
01/2024: UNCERTAIN OBJECTS : PART 1 - Shop Work, Frome (Somerset)
11/2023: LET THEM EAT CAKE - Bad Art Presents / Soho (London)
05/2023: RADIANT OBJECTS - Fringe Arts Bath Festival (Bath)
02/2023: STAGE LLE PROJECTS @ Kingsgate Project Space (London)
08/2022: TESTING GROUNDS - Filet Space (London)
02/2022: MELTDOWN - Ridley Road Project Space - Hackney (London)
10/2019: HUMDRUM – The Store Gallery - Dulwich College (London)
01/2019: MADELEINE – Patrick Heide Gallery (London)
02/2017: POWER IN THE LAND – Bay Art (Cardiff)
01/2017: THE COLLECTIVISTS – Brand Library Art Gallery (Los Angeles)
05/2016: POWER IN THE LAND - Aberystwyth Arts Centre (Aberystwyth)
02/2016: POWER IN THE LAND - Oriel Davies Gallery (Powys)
09/2015: HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS – Lubomirov / Angus-Hughes Gallery (London)
08/2014: CITIES OF ASH – G39 Gallery (Cardiff)
03/2014: SPECULATIVE FUTURES - A-Side B-Side Gallery (London)
11/2013: ALTER // SHIFT // CONTROL – The Bermondsey Projects (London)
10/2013: THE HANOVER PROJECT – University of Central Lancashire
05/2013: THE TOMORROW PEOPLE – Elevator Gallery (London)
08/2012: PING PONG TABLE - Commission permanently installed in Soho Square (London)
06/2012: RA SUMMER SHOW 2012 - Royal Academy of The Arts (London)
04/2012: IMPRINT - Kingston University Platform Gallery (London)
01/2012: BLACK SWAN OPEN - Awarded Special Commendation (Frome)
06/2011: RA SUMMER SHOW 2011 - Royal Academy of The Arts (London)
05/2010: CU - at Future Everything Festival (Manchester)
09/2009: PAPER CITY : URBAN UTOPIAS - at the Royal Academy of Arts (London)
07/2009: EAST INTERNATIONAL - Norwich University College of Art (Norwich)
05/2009: FIRST SHOW - Achromat Gallery (Brighton)
06/2008: CAMBERWELL GREEN - House Gallery / Camberwell Arts Festival (London)
05/2008: SALIVATE - Anglia Square Shopping Centre (Norwich)
04/2007: TRANSFORMER - Exhibition & Symposium Woburn Research Centre (london)
03/2007: IS THE WORLD OURS? - Bargate Monument Gallery (Southampton)
03/2007: [DOT] PARTY - The Hayward Gallery (London)
06/2006: RA SUMMER SHOW 2006 - Royal Academy of The Arts (London)
05/2006: GENERATION - Show One Royal College of Art (London)
04/2006: PLATFORM FOR ART - Various Tube Locations (London)
02/2006: LETS RIOT - Café Gallery Projects (London)
01/2006: ART BELOW ZERO - The Westbourne Studios (London)
12/2005: SEEING THE LIGHT - The Stephen Lawrence Gallery (London)
07/2005: ENNON & CO - Group show in office space (London)
09/2004: NORWICH FRINGE FESTIVAL - Balley Shoe Factory (Norwich)
08/2004: EYE TEST - The Stephen Lawrence Gallery (London)
AWARDS / FELLOWSHIPS:
10/2023: MRSS at The Royal Society of Sculptors (London)
09/2006: THE STANLEY PICKER TUTORSHIP IN FINE ART (Print) at Kingston University.
GRANTS / COMMISSIONS / RESIDENCIES:
03/2024: EILEAN SHONA - Royal Society of Sculptors Residency (Scotland)
07/2015: ESXLA International – Residency July 2015 (Los Angeles)
09/2015: Arts Council of Wales - Project Grant for Power In The Land
05/2013: (Final Shortlist) The Contemporary Art Fellowship at The Rome School
06/2012: London Cultural Olympics - Table Tennis Table commission for Ping London.
01/2009: ACE Grants for the Arts – Individual Lottery Grant for Monitored Landscape Series
PUBLICATIONS / REVIEWS:
03/2026: The Empty Canvas Podcast by Pascal Anson : You can't really cast a jellyfish right? wrong!
10/2024: Afterlife: Time Travelling with Robin Tarbet text by Lizzie Perrotte on SolasArts
05/2022: Techno Fossils by Lara Chapman in Disegno Journal
02/2017: Swap Editions text for Gate Keeper Magazine 2020
03/2020: The Common Good - by Karl England for Sluice Magazine 2020.
02/2017: ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS OF A NUCLEAR POWER STATION: by Stephen Clark www.thedoublenegative.co.uk
10/2016: THE NUCLEAR CULTURES SOURCE BOOK – Edited by Ele Carpenter ISBN 9781911164050
02/2016: POWER IN THE LAND ISBN: 978-1-78280-732-2 www.powerintheland.co.uk
04/2014: AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL IMPULSE: The Double Negative by Stephen Clarke www.thedoublenegative.co.uk
04/2014: WALL STREET INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE - www.wsimagazine.com
03/2014: TUSK JOURNAL – Tuskjournal.com Exhibition review by Ashleigh Owen
10/2012: TANGENT ZINE – Designed and Edited by Karen Ay
05/2012: ARC 16 THE DEATH ISSUE - www.rcamagazine.co.uk
12/2010: EAST GOES EAST CATALOGUE - ISBN: 1-8-7224-28-92-9 Co-ordinator - Eleanor Cherry
07/2009: EAST 2009 - THE BOOK - ISBN: 1-872482-90-2 Editor - Lynda Morris
07/2009: EAST INTERNATIONAL REVIEW www.frieze.com/shows/review/east_international by Chris Fite-Wassilak
09/2007: PAPER CITY - Blueprint Magazine Editor Tim Abrahams
06/2006: GENERATION RCA SHOW CATALOGUE - ISBN: 1-905000-25-1
10/2007: MONITORED LANDSCAPE / OUTPOST REVIEW - a&n Magazine by Mark Wilsher
EDUCATION:
2004-2006: MA Fine Art Printmaking at The Royal College of Art London
2001-2004: BA Hon’s Fine Art at Norwich School of Art and Design
2000-2001: Art and Design Foundation National Diploma at Trowbridge (now called The Wiltshire College)
SOLO EXHIBITIONS:
06/2025: CASTAWAYS - Limbo (Margate)
03/2014: ROBIN TARBET SELECTED WORKS AT THE BLUECOAT - Upper Vide Gallery (Liverpool)
10/2012: MONITORED LANDSCAPE - Black Swan Arts Centre Frome (Somerset)
01/2010: INDIRECT LAND - Trafo Gallery (Budapest)
10/2007: MONITORED LANDSCAPE No.9 - Outpost Gallery (Norwich)
CURATED / COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS:
05/2026: Object | Multiple - A Bigger Book Fair (London)
10/2025: Object | Multiple - Bound Book Arts Fair (Manchester)
05/2025: Object | Multiple - A Bigger Book Fair (London)
12/2023: Object | Multiple - Exhibition at The Penn Theatre (London)
11/2023: Object | Multiple - Bound Book Arts Fair (Manchester)
02/2023: Object | Multiple - Camberwell Multiples Fair
08/2022: Object | Multiple - online platform for artist multiples
02/2020: SWAP Editions 5 : ISLAND Creekside Projects (London)
02/2020: ANOMALY – Duo exhibition with Mark Scott-Wood Creekside Projects (London)
02/2020: Art You An Island? Swap Editions virtual project with www.Skelf.org.uk
03/2019: SWAP Editions 4 : BREX-kit – Creekside Projects (London)
09/2018: Labour Exchange – Exhibition of 10 artists – Creekside Projects (London)
04/2018: SWAP Editions 3 : ARTIST AS MACHINE – New Shoreditch Theatre
01/2018: The Prosumer Galleries – The Great Medical Disaster (Manchester)
09/2017: SWAP Editions 2 : TRADE - Art licks / Set projects Bermondsey
03/2017: AD HOC : SWAP Editions - Castor Projects (London)
06/2016: Power In The Land X10 film screening – Mostyn Gallery (Llandudno)
10/2015: POWER IN THE LAND X10 film screening - Modern Art (Oxford)
05/2012: TOMORROW’S WORLD 2 - Project Number (London)
02/2012: TOMORROW’S WORLD - Residency and exhibition Rogue Studios Project Space (Manchester)
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS:
11/2025: STAGE III by LLE PROJECTS - Mirror (Plymouth)
10/2025: STAGE II by LLE PROJECTS - Bay Arts (Cardiff)
10/2025: SUMMER SHOW - Royal Society of Sculptors (London)
10/2024: TABLE TOP MUSEUM - The Art Workers Guild (London)
01/2024: UNCERTAIN OBJECTS : PART 1 - Shop Work, Frome (Somerset)
11/2023: LET THEM EAT CAKE - Bad Art Presents / Soho (London)
05/2023: RADIANT OBJECTS - Fringe Arts Bath Festival (Bath)
02/2023: STAGE LLE PROJECTS @ Kingsgate Project Space (London)
08/2022: TESTING GROUNDS - Filet Space (London)
02/2022: MELTDOWN - Ridley Road Project Space - Hackney (London)
10/2019: HUMDRUM – The Store Gallery - Dulwich College (London)
01/2019: MADELEINE – Patrick Heide Gallery (London)
02/2017: POWER IN THE LAND – Bay Art (Cardiff)
01/2017: THE COLLECTIVISTS – Brand Library Art Gallery (Los Angeles)
05/2016: POWER IN THE LAND - Aberystwyth Arts Centre (Aberystwyth)
02/2016: POWER IN THE LAND - Oriel Davies Gallery (Powys)
09/2015: HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS – Lubomirov / Angus-Hughes Gallery (London)
08/2014: CITIES OF ASH – G39 Gallery (Cardiff)
03/2014: SPECULATIVE FUTURES - A-Side B-Side Gallery (London)
11/2013: ALTER // SHIFT // CONTROL – The Bermondsey Projects (London)
10/2013: THE HANOVER PROJECT – University of Central Lancashire
05/2013: THE TOMORROW PEOPLE – Elevator Gallery (London)
08/2012: PING PONG TABLE - Commission permanently installed in Soho Square (London)
06/2012: RA SUMMER SHOW 2012 - Royal Academy of The Arts (London)
04/2012: IMPRINT - Kingston University Platform Gallery (London)
01/2012: BLACK SWAN OPEN - Awarded Special Commendation (Frome)
06/2011: RA SUMMER SHOW 2011 - Royal Academy of The Arts (London)
05/2010: CU - at Future Everything Festival (Manchester)
09/2009: PAPER CITY : URBAN UTOPIAS - at the Royal Academy of Arts (London)
07/2009: EAST INTERNATIONAL - Norwich University College of Art (Norwich)
05/2009: FIRST SHOW - Achromat Gallery (Brighton)
06/2008: CAMBERWELL GREEN - House Gallery / Camberwell Arts Festival (London)
05/2008: SALIVATE - Anglia Square Shopping Centre (Norwich)
04/2007: TRANSFORMER - Exhibition & Symposium Woburn Research Centre (london)
03/2007: IS THE WORLD OURS? - Bargate Monument Gallery (Southampton)
03/2007: [DOT] PARTY - The Hayward Gallery (London)
06/2006: RA SUMMER SHOW 2006 - Royal Academy of The Arts (London)
05/2006: GENERATION - Show One Royal College of Art (London)
04/2006: PLATFORM FOR ART - Various Tube Locations (London)
02/2006: LETS RIOT - Café Gallery Projects (London)
01/2006: ART BELOW ZERO - The Westbourne Studios (London)
12/2005: SEEING THE LIGHT - The Stephen Lawrence Gallery (London)
07/2005: ENNON & CO - Group show in office space (London)
09/2004: NORWICH FRINGE FESTIVAL - Balley Shoe Factory (Norwich)
08/2004: EYE TEST - The Stephen Lawrence Gallery (London)
AWARDS / FELLOWSHIPS:
10/2023: MRSS at The Royal Society of Sculptors (London)
09/2006: THE STANLEY PICKER TUTORSHIP IN FINE ART (Print) at Kingston University.
GRANTS / COMMISSIONS / RESIDENCIES:
03/2024: EILEAN SHONA - Royal Society of Sculptors Residency (Scotland)
07/2015: ESXLA International – Residency July 2015 (Los Angeles)
09/2015: Arts Council of Wales - Project Grant for Power In The Land
05/2013: (Final Shortlist) The Contemporary Art Fellowship at The Rome School
06/2012: London Cultural Olympics - Table Tennis Table commission for Ping London.
01/2009: ACE Grants for the Arts – Individual Lottery Grant for Monitored Landscape Series
PUBLICATIONS / REVIEWS:
03/2026: The Empty Canvas Podcast by Pascal Anson : You can't really cast a jellyfish right? wrong!
10/2024: Afterlife: Time Travelling with Robin Tarbet text by Lizzie Perrotte on SolasArts
05/2022: Techno Fossils by Lara Chapman in Disegno Journal
02/2017: Swap Editions text for Gate Keeper Magazine 2020
03/2020: The Common Good - by Karl England for Sluice Magazine 2020.
02/2017: ENDINGS AND BEGINNINGS OF A NUCLEAR POWER STATION: by Stephen Clark www.thedoublenegative.co.uk
10/2016: THE NUCLEAR CULTURES SOURCE BOOK – Edited by Ele Carpenter ISBN 9781911164050
02/2016: POWER IN THE LAND ISBN: 978-1-78280-732-2 www.powerintheland.co.uk
04/2014: AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL IMPULSE: The Double Negative by Stephen Clarke www.thedoublenegative.co.uk
04/2014: WALL STREET INTERNATIONAL MAGAZINE - www.wsimagazine.com
03/2014: TUSK JOURNAL – Tuskjournal.com Exhibition review by Ashleigh Owen
10/2012: TANGENT ZINE – Designed and Edited by Karen Ay
05/2012: ARC 16 THE DEATH ISSUE - www.rcamagazine.co.uk
12/2010: EAST GOES EAST CATALOGUE - ISBN: 1-8-7224-28-92-9 Co-ordinator - Eleanor Cherry
07/2009: EAST 2009 - THE BOOK - ISBN: 1-872482-90-2 Editor - Lynda Morris
07/2009: EAST INTERNATIONAL REVIEW www.frieze.com/shows/review/east_international by Chris Fite-Wassilak
09/2007: PAPER CITY - Blueprint Magazine Editor Tim Abrahams
06/2006: GENERATION RCA SHOW CATALOGUE - ISBN: 1-905000-25-1
10/2007: MONITORED LANDSCAPE / OUTPOST REVIEW - a&n Magazine by Mark Wilsher
> SCHOLARLY ACTIVITY
Teaching is an important aspect to my practice as an artist and I have over 15 years of experience lecturing across fine art courses at university level. I regularly get invited as a Visiting Lecturer to give artist talks about my research and practise to institutions including the University of the Creative Arts, Goldsmiths, UAL Camberwell, Lincoln, Ravensbourne, The Princes Drawing School, The Art Academy, Brighton and Falmouth Schools of Art and Design. As well as higher education teaching I have run arts education workshops for a number of museums and organisations, and deliver one to one research and development sessions for artists in my studio. I have volunteered as a Mentor with the charity Arts Emergency since 2012.
Teaching is an important aspect to my practice as an artist and I have over 15 years of experience lecturing across fine art courses at university level. I regularly get invited as a Visiting Lecturer to give artist talks about my research and practise to institutions including the University of the Creative Arts, Goldsmiths, UAL Camberwell, Lincoln, Ravensbourne, The Princes Drawing School, The Art Academy, Brighton and Falmouth Schools of Art and Design. As well as higher education teaching I have run arts education workshops for a number of museums and organisations, and deliver one to one research and development sessions for artists in my studio. I have volunteered as a Mentor with the charity Arts Emergency since 2012.
11/2025 – Ongoing: Casting Tutor in Fine Art Sculpture at Goldsmiths University of London.
06/2025 – 06/2025: Visiting Speaker for Professional Practice Industries Day at UAL Camberwell Photography
10/2023 – 06/2024: Sessional Tutor for International Foundation Diploma in Art Design and Media at UCA Farnham
04/2022 – 06/2023: Sessional Tutor for Foundation Diploma in Art Design and Media at UCA Farnham
09/2021 – 12/2021: Lead Tutor - Performance & Spacial Construction (10 week course) The Art Academy London
09/2009 – 06/2019: Senior Lecturer in Fine Art Foundation Studies at Kingston University
09/2012 – 06/2013: Fixed term 1 year VL contract on Fine Art Extension Degree at Goldsmiths
09/2009 – 09/2010: Senior Lecturer in Sculpture (maternity cover) at Norwich University of Art (NUA)
09/2007 – 09/2009: HPL on Foundation Studies in Art / Design at Kingston University
09/2006 - 05/2012: HPL in Fine Art (Print and Sculpture) at Norwich University of Art (NUA)
06/2025 – 06/2025: Visiting Speaker for Professional Practice Industries Day at UAL Camberwell Photography
10/2023 – 06/2024: Sessional Tutor for International Foundation Diploma in Art Design and Media at UCA Farnham
04/2022 – 06/2023: Sessional Tutor for Foundation Diploma in Art Design and Media at UCA Farnham
09/2021 – 12/2021: Lead Tutor - Performance & Spacial Construction (10 week course) The Art Academy London
09/2009 – 06/2019: Senior Lecturer in Fine Art Foundation Studies at Kingston University
09/2012 – 06/2013: Fixed term 1 year VL contract on Fine Art Extension Degree at Goldsmiths
09/2009 – 09/2010: Senior Lecturer in Sculpture (maternity cover) at Norwich University of Art (NUA)
09/2007 – 09/2009: HPL on Foundation Studies in Art / Design at Kingston University
09/2006 - 05/2012: HPL in Fine Art (Print and Sculpture) at Norwich University of Art (NUA)