About Soma Gallery
Soma Gallery is one of the leading graphic Fine Art printmaking galleries in the UK. We have been specialising in original screen printed artwork since 2004.
We work with UK based artists, printmakers, illustrators and designers, with a large majority of our makers coming from the local Bristol, Bath and surrounding areas. We work with established artist-printmakers including Rob Ryan, Anna Marrow and Tom Frost, who we have worked with for a number of years, and a regularly changing roster of emerging artists.
Our style is eclectic, graphic, colourful and fun, we offer unique contemporary art for your home. As printmakers ourselves, we love a good technique, and a well printed piece of artwork. So you can be sure that all the artwork we sell is beautifully hand printed and produced to the highest standard.
We have a wide range of artwork suitable for a variety of budgets and in a variety of sizes for your home. We have curated artwork for modern interiors: kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms, bedrooms, hallways and more. We also have wonderful artwork for gifting.
Our History
Soma Gallery opened in June 2004 in Bristol as a shop and gallery promoting contemporary art, design and illustration. Soma specialises in original limited edition original prints by illustrators, artists and printmakers, and regularly had several exhibitions a year. Alongside the original prints Soma sells a variety of artworks and other handmade items including greeting cards, artists' books, zines and hand printed textiles.
In September 2010 Soma moved from their original Clifton Arcade space over the road into 4 Boyces Avenue, a larger Georgian building with a dedicated gallery space on the first floor and a shop space on the ground floor. A print studio was added in 2015. Artists including Tom Frost, Anna Marrow and Andy Smith have had solo exhibitions in the gallery space.
In August 2017, Soma moved from their Boyces Avenue space to concentrate on the online side and exhibit at fairs and pop up shops. We have since taken part in numerous art fairs including BABE (Bristol Artists Book Event), South Bristol Arts Trail and the Tobacco Factory Market, plus pop ups including our 20th Anniversary Edition Launch at Frankenstein Press.
Soma Gallery has been featured in numerous national and local publications, and blogs including Living Etc, Elle Decoration, Bristol Life, Bristol247, Creative Review, Design Week, PoppyTalk, DesignSponge, WeeBirdy, Amelia's Magazine and Print & Pattern.
Keep an eye on social media to find out where we will be exhibiting next.
Soma Gallery has exhibited at Pick Me Up – Graphic Arts Fair at Somerset House (now ended) twice and have been involved in several projects including curating a mailout for Not Another Bill and hosting workshops by Tatty Devine and book launches and signings by Mr Bingo and Amelia Gregory (Amelia’s Magazine).
The majority of the work on display in Soma is from UK based artists with many coming from Bristol and the South West.
Our Ethos
At Soma Gallery, we have always worked with artists who do something a little bit different and whose work is exciting. In the early days, way back in 2004, personal websites didn't really exist in great numbers. We discovered the majority of our artists through magazines, blogs and design websites, though many found us through word of mouth, blogs and visiting us.
We have always shown graphic artwork by illustrators and graphic designers alongside fine art printmaking, so there has always been a rich mix of artwork on display. We will always favour handmade and hand crafted. When we had our shop and gallery space we sold a wider variety of hand made items including ceramics, printed textiles, jewellery, magazines and much more. We have a far smaller range of items now, but will often invite artists specially for pop ups.
Most of the artists we work with now, we have worked with for quite a while, but the premise still remains more or less the same: exciting printmaking and items you will treasure!
Our Curator
Soma Gallery is led by curator and multi-disciplinary printmaker, Fiona Hamilton. Fiona has a MA in Multi-Disciplinary Printmaking from UWE and BA Graphic Fine Art from UCA. She is a member and tutor at Spike Print Studio in Bristol where she teaches letterpress and other printmaking processes. Fiona has over 20 years experience in curating.
As a printmaker, Fiona has exhibited widely including at Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, Wells Art Contemporary, RE IOPE, New English Art Club and Bath Society of Artists. You can view Fiona's personal printmaking website here.
