Richard Coan – Artist in Residence

ABOUT RICHARD

Richard Coan is a multidisciplinary artist based in the North West of England whose practice explores how we relate to ourselves and each other – as individuals, communities and cultures – through place-responsive creative enquiry.

Working across photography, film, words, sound, music, movement and participatory approaches, Richard develops artistic responses shaped by curiosity, conversation and immersion within places.

Before focusing on fine art, Richard spent many years working as a graphic designer and creative director. His background in communication and visual storytelling continues to influence his artistic practice.

Residencies are central to Richard’s work, providing the time and space to listen deeply and create work rooted in the character of a place.

Include

  • Biography
  • Selected experience
  • Organisations worked with
  • Collaborations
  • Exhibitions
  • Residencies
  • CV (download)

Artistic Statement

I process by making.
My practice explores how we relate to ourselves and each other as individuals, communities and cultures.
Through a process of making, noticing and capturing, I use creative practice as a way of paying attention – exploring human experience, worth, value and the relationships between people, place and identity, in both the physical and the spiritual.
Working across photography, film, image, sound, music, movement and participatory practice (often incorporating recycled and repurposed materials), I use whatever medium best enables the enquiry rather than allowing the medium to define the work.
Residencies are often central to my approach, allowing me to immerse myself in a place, listen deeply and respond to what is already present. Through curiosity, conversation and creative experimentation, I develop work shaped by the people, places and experiences of that moment, drawing together newly created and existing material into responses rooted in their context.
The resulting work may take the form of photographic series, films, music, publications, performances, installations or art trails.
These outcomes are not definitive statements or finished conclusions, but moments of capture within an ongoing enquiry, inviting reflection, conversation and further discovery.
The value of the work lives in the relationships, understanding and shared experiences it generates, as much as in the artefacts themselves.
While my artistic enquiry remains at the heart of every project, I also create opportunities for others to explore their own creativity, experiences and perspectives. Their contributions become part of a wider dialogue, enriching the work and revealing viewpoints beyond my own.
Ultimately, I seek to reveal and celebrate the creativity, value and connections that already exist within people and places. By paying attention and capturing what might otherwise go unnoticed, my work invites people to recognise their own worth, the worth of others, and the richness of the world we share.