Vanessa Donnelly’s work explores the landscape where she lives on the North Devon coast. The edge of the land jutting out into the Atlantic Ocean, Lundy Island visible from the mainland. A place on the edge of Devon, bordering Cornwall and surrounded by land that has been farmed for thousands of years. A landscape that is constantly changing, pounded by the elements and shaped by humans and animals interacting with the land.

Donnelly works primarily with textiles and paper, stitching, weaving and drawing.

About

Vanessa Donnelly was born in Manchester in 1970 and is currently living and working in North Devon. She received a BA(Hons) Embroidery, Manchester Metropolitan University (1997 - 2000) and a MA Textiles, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester (2001).

She has been invited to exhibit in group shows at galleries throughout the UK, including The Biscuit Factory, Newcastle; Artist showcase, YSP; Etsy art show, London; and selected in numerous open call exhibitions in both the UK and Australia. In 2015 she had her first solo show The Undoing of Penelope at Bankley Gallery, Levenshulme, following a residency at Bankley Studios. In 2016/17 she was artist in residence as part of Castlefield Gallery, New Art spaces, Rochdale. She recently opened her home studio in Hartland as part of the Artland Open Studios, 2025.

Biography