Anna Perach

Anna Perach (b. 1985, Ukraine) is an artist based in London. Her practice explores the dynamic between personal and cultural myths. Specifically she is interested in how our private narratives are deeply rooted in ancient folklore and storytelling. Her work interweaves female archetypes into sculptural hybrids in order to examine ideas of identity, gender, and craft.

Perach's main medium of work is wearable sculpture and performance. She works in a technique called tufting, making hand-made carpet textile, which she then transforms into wearable sculptures. Perach begins by creating a pattern of a three-dimensional form, followed by manually tufting each piece of the pattern, and finally assembling it into a wearable, tufted sculpture. The wearable sculpture functions as both a garment that is performed in as well as a freestanding sculpture. Through this medium, she examines how elements associated with the domestic sphere such as textiles and carpet operate as an extension of the self and reflect one's heritage and gender role. Perach performs the tufted, domestic carpet serves as an external added layer of skin, which hides the physical body but exposes fragments of the self.

Solo shows include ‘Holes’, Gasworks, London (2024);‘Gasp’, ADA gallery, Rome (2023), ‘Spidora’, Edel Assanti Gallery, London (2022); ‘As She Laughs’ (with Anousha Payne), Cooke Latham Gallery, London (2022); ‘The Moon Prophecy’, Herzliya Museum of contemporary art, Herzliya (2021).

Her works have been featured in group exhibitions and art fairs including The Ryder Gallery, ARCO Madrid (2024); Arnolfini, Bristol (2023); Goldsmiths CCA, London (2023); Richard Saltoun Gallery, London (2023); Sommer Gallery, Art Cologne (2022); ADA Gallery, Arrtissima (2022).

Perach has been awarded the Hopper Prize (2023), The lngram Prize (2021) and the Gilbert Bayes Award (2021).