Dr Eirini Boukla

Profile

My background is Fine Art for Design, with a specific focus on Drawing as an expanded practice. I joined the University of Leeds in 2009 as a PhD candidate, gaining my doctorate in 2013 from FAHACS, thesis title, 'Ichnographia: Arrogation and Alteration'. I took up my current position as an Art Practice Lecturer in SOD in 2014. I hold an MA in Drawing, 2006, thesis title, 'Drawing as a sculptural activity' from Camberwell College of Art, UAL. Since 2006 parallel to my art practice, I have developed, organised, and curated art projects and residencies in the UK and Europe. I have received research funding from various sources, including the AHRC, Art Council England, the AHRB and the private sector. My work is exhibited internationally at galleries, museums, art festivals and public art projects. For specific information regarding biography and work, visit my website.

Research interests

I am interested in the relationship between material and imagination. This connection, for me, brings together intention and intuition, invention and execution in ways that impact one another. This way, the work develops from a process where action, investigation and continuous exploration of materials take shape from one doing to another. Each one responds to the previous one and guides the work to completion.
My research is practice-based: reaction to material in my immediate environment activates space between intention and decision to form a dialogue between the present as it unfolds in my studio. This informality, I accept, is the most important to me and my methods. In this, I give sway to freedom, flexibility, and spontaneity to distance myself from given categories and paradigms restricting the mind.  

Further, a recurring question emerging from my research practice is how new technologies impact earlier processes of making and how these affect reconstructing new meanings of authorship. 

 

Publications/ Catalogues

E. Boukla, 2021. A 'certain hand' and its margin of error.  Drawing Research, Theory and Practice. Intellect: London. 

E. Boukla, 2017. 'The Contemporary End' in PSIAX, DRAWING IN THE UNIVERSITY TODAY (special edition). Faculty of Fine Arts University of Oporto: Portugal. pp. 137-142.

E. Boukla. 2012. 'Drawing on the condition of not seeing'. Drawing out. The Centre For Drawing UAL.

E. Boukla. 2011. Veduta (Souvenir view) in Adaptive Actions Madrid. Madrid Abierto: London. pp. 38 -39.

E. Boukla. 2010. Disney World in International Exhibition “Women Painters”. Center for Cultural Majdanpek: Serbia.

E. Boukla. 2009. A Daily Route. Contemporary Flânerie: Reconfiguring Cities, Oakland University Art Gallery, Rochester, Michigan: USA. pp. 152-153.

E. Boukla. 2008. 480 Pages. Singapore International Photography Festival: Singapore. Online.

E. Boukla. 2008. The Bicycle Thieves. Somewhere and nowhere, Soanyway. Online.

E. Boukla. 2007. A Daily Route. Thessaloniki Biennale of Contemporary Art. Center of Contemporary art Thessaloniki: Greece.

E. Boukla. 2007. In Transit, The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea: London.

E. Boukla. 2006. WAVE. Camberwell College of Art, London.

E. Boukla. 2005. Co-ordinate. 2005. Salt Mills, Saltaire, W.Yotkshire.

Free Range. 2005. The Old Truman Brewery, London.

 

Artist  talks/conferences

2021. Keynote speaker. Tracing, The line, Art and New Technologies. Print out of Print. Bucharest National University of Arts, UNArte. Romania.

2019. Invited speaker (online lecture). Ratifying tracing and movements assemblage. British School of Art and Design, Moscow. Russia.

2018. 'Hand Delivered: Drawing within a Margin of Error'. Art, Materiality and Representation. British Museum & SOAS University of London. 1-3 June.

2017. 'Scattered recollections, a reflection on ‘BalNaVodi’ (Dancing in water)'. ASLE-UK, Land2. Biennial Conference. Sheffield Hallam University. UK. 6-8 September.

2013. 'Ichnographia'. DRN conference: Interweavings: Pedagogy, Methodology and Research. Columbia University. New York. USA. 24-26 October.

2013. 'The Contemporary End'. Drawing in the University today conference, Faculty of Fine Arts University of Oporto, Portugal. 31 May -1 June.

2012. Artist talk. Research at Documenta13. School of Design. The University of Leeds. Leeds.

2012. Respondent. To David McCallum. Foreign Exchange: FOREX. Artists as Researchers: A New Paradigm for Art Education in Europe. Henry Moore Institute. Leeds.

2012. 'Drawing on the condition of not seeing'. Drawing Out conference. The centre for Drawing. University of the Arts London, Chelsea College of Art & Design. 28-30 March.

2012. Artist talk. FAFA Gallery. Helsinki. Finland.

2011. Artist talk. School of Design. The University of Leeds. Leeds.

2010. 'Wonderings (in) Palimpsests: tracing erasing chorotopia.  Changing Identities and Contexts in the Arts (CICA). KUVA Finnish Academy of Fine Arts, Helsinki, Finland. 9-10 November.

 

Residencies/Projects

2019 International Drawing residency, Nerohvirta Village, Iisalmi, Finland

2012 drawingsite, dOCUMENTA (13) Park Schönfeld Academy, Kassel, Germany.

2012 Young Visionaries, Breeze International Youth Festival. Project Space Leeds, Leeds, UK.

2011 Villa Eläintarha, Helsinki.

2011 British School of Art in Rome, Italy.

2011 Berufsverband Bildender Künstler, Berlin, Germany.

2008 Masticulture, Mesta, Chios island, Greece.

<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Any research projects I'm currently working on will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>

Qualifications

  • 2013. PhD Fine Art. University of Leeds.
  • 2006. MA Drawing. Camberwell College of ArtS, University Arts London.
  • 2005. BA (Hons) Fine Art for Design. Batley School of Art & Design. Huddersfield University.

Professional memberships

  • SAR (Society for Artistic Research)

Student education

I have teaching experience in a wide range of contexts. I teach creative practice for the UG Art and Design programme and collage culture to students across the School of Design. I also supervise UG dissertations and research projects related to my areas of expertise.

Current postgraduate researchers

<h4>Postgraduate research opportunities</h4> <p>We welcome enquiries from motivated and qualified applicants from all around the world who are interested in PhD study. Our <a href="https://phd.leeds.ac.uk">research opportunities</a> allow you to search for projects and scholarships.</p>