Sam van Strien (b. 1992, the Netherlands) is a visual artist who examines the relationship between architecture, finance, and capitalism. In his research and studio-based practice, Sam employs various techniques, such as rubbings from buildings, laser-cut engravings of photographs, and drawings sourced from archival records. Through these strategies, he seeks to convey the tactile and visual boundaries that shape our encounters with architecture in our everyday urban experiences. His work serves as documents, records, and visual remnants of our built environment, questioning whether the essence of architecture can be truly captured through mediated images, or if it exists only as concrete matter, as a place we can touch and see.
Sam received his MFA in Painting & Drawing from Ohio State University and his BA in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins. His artwork has been showcased internationally, including venues such as Trinity Buoy Wharf in London, UK; Keumsan Gallery in Seoul, South Korea; and the Louis Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts in Lubbock, TX, USA. Sam has completed several residencies, most recently at the NARS Foundation in Brooklyn, New York, with the support of Arts Council England and the Netherland-America Foundation. Sam is currently an Artist-in-Residence at Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts in Gatlinburg, TN.
Education
2017 MFA, Painting & Drawing, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
2014 BA, Fine Art, Central Saint Martins, London, UK
2013 Erasmus Exchange, National Academy of the Arts, Oslo, Norway
2011 Diploma in Foundation Studies, Fine Art, Byam Shaw School of Art, London, UK
Forthcoming
2026 Solo Exhibition, Artspace, Raleigh, NC, USA
2025 Solo Exhibition, Dream Clinic Project Space, Columbus, OH, USA
2025 Group Exhibition, Sandra J. Blain Galleries, Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN, USA
Solo & Two-Person Exhibitions
2024 Modular Systems, Two-Person Exhibition with Lela Arruza, Able Trade, Knoxville, TN, USA
2022 Fragments, Ancel Gallery, London, UK (online)
2020 A Pattern Language, The Stone Space, London, UK
2019 Contextures, Two-Person Exhibition with Kavan Balasuriya, A-side B-side Gallery, London, UK
2016 AEP: Schematic & Surface, Collaboration with Diana Abells, Hopkins Hall Gallery, Columbus, OH, USA
2016 A Trace Unfulfilled, Pearl Conard Gallery, Mansfield, OH, USA
Group Exhibitions
2024 Arts in the Airport, McGhee Tyson Airport, Knoxville, TN, USA
2024 Fresh, Artspace, Raleigh, NC, USA
2024 Artist-in-Residence Opening Exhibition, Arrowmont Gallery, Knoxville, TN, USA
2024 Reverbing Ontologies — on margins, Konsthall väst på fjället, Bjurholm, Sweden
2024 Corridors, Artspace, Raleigh, NC, USA
2023 Sister Cities, The Stone Space, London, UK
2023 Notes From Another Place, Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, Lubbock, TX, USA
2023 Shadow-work, NARS Foundation, Brooklyn, NY, USA
2022 Annual Open Exhibition 2022, Southwark Park Galleries, London, UK
2022 Galvanise, Spitalfields Studios, London, UK
2022 Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, Cooper Gallery, Dundee, UK
2022 Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, Drawing Projects, Trowbridge, UK
2021 Urban Record, Keumsan Gallery, Seoul, South Korea
2021 Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, Trinity Buoy Wharf, London UK
2021 Summer Group Exhibition, Ancel Gallery, London, UK
2021 NEXT, Galleri Zelma, Fårösund, Sweden
2021 Re:store Re:new Re:imagine, Willesden Gallery, London, UK
2020 Urban Reckoning, The Koppel Project, London, UK
2020 Leeds Summer Group Show, Leeds, UK (online)
2020 The Pastel Society Annual Exhibition 2020, Mall Galleries, London, UK
2019 Maybe Something Will Appear, PADA Studios, Lisbon, Portugal
2019 A Clueless Pedestrian, Green Lens Studios, London, UK
2019 ING Discerning Eye Exhibition 2019, Mall Galleries, London, UK
2018 Easter Video Screening, Galleri Bokboden, Bergen, Norway
2018 Salon CCC, The Church of Saint-Merri, Paris, France
2018 Open Yards, Yards Project Space at Worthington Yards, Cleveland, OH, USA
2017 Works on Paper 2017, 19th Annual National Juried Competition & Exhibition, LBIF, New Jersey, USA
2017 Thesis, Urban Arts Space, Columbus, OH, USA
2017 25th Annual Fergus Scholarship Award Exhibition, Urban Arts Space, Columbus, OH, USA
2016 Walking Through Glue, The University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA (online)
2016 Alter + Combine, (SCENE) Metrospace, East Lansing, MI, USA (catalogue)
2015 Blick von Außen, Skylab Gallery, Columbus, OH, USA
2015 Department of Art: Student Video Screening, Gateway Film Centre, Columbus, OH, USA
2015 Small Works Exhibition, Roy G Biv Gallery, Columbus, OH, USA
2015 Everywhere is Here, Knowlton School of Architecture, Columbus, OH, USA
2015 The Appearance of the Visible, Millworks Studio Exhibition, Columbus, OH, USA
2015 Auto Show, Temp Collective, Columbus, OH, USA
2015 You Are Here, Hopkins Hall Gallery, Columbus, OH, USA
2014 Autumn Projections, Mirage Gallery, Columbus, OH, USA
2014 Art Graduates Prize 2014, Herbert Smith Freehills, London, UK
2014 Clyde & Co Art 2014 Art Awards, exhibition collection (2014 – 2015), London, UK
2014 Degree Show One, Central Saint Martins Fine Art Degree Show, London, UK
2014 Big Space, 1 Granary Square, Kings Cross, London, UK
2013 Open Studio Pt.2, Central Saint Martins, London, UK
2013 Star Food & Wine, 90 Old Street, London, UK
2013 Education Reversed, Fotogalleriet, Oslo, Norway
2013 Hot-One-Hundred, Schwartz Gallery, London, UK
2013 The Shoe Show, Podium, Oslo, Norway
2013 Untitled, Galleriet Steenstrupsgate, National Academy of the Arts, Oslo, Norway
2012 Parasite Project, Concourse Gallery, Byam Shaw School of Art, London, UK
Residencies
2025 Artist-in-Residence, Vermont Studio Centre, Johnson, VT, USA
2024 - 2025 Artist-in-Residence, Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN, USA
2023 Artist-in-Residence, NARS Foundation, Brooklyn, NY, USA
2019 Artist-in-Residence, PADA Studio, Lisbon, Portugal
2019 Artist-in-Residence, Buinho Creative Hub, Messejana, Portugal
2018 Artist-in-Residence, USF Arts Centre, Bergen, Norway
2017 Artist-in-Residence, Kunstnarhuset Messen, Ålvik, Norway
Awards & Grants
2025 Vermont Studio Centre Fellowship, Johnson, VT, USA
2023 A-N Artist Bursary (£1,500), A-N The Artists Information Company, London, UK
2022 Developing Your Creative Practice Grant (£10,000), Arts Council England, London, UK
2021 Selected for inclusion in The Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, London, UK
2021 Selected for the London Creative Network Programme, SPACE, London, UK
2020 The Netherland-America Foundation Cultural Grant ($2,500), New York City, NY, USA
2020 New Platform Art Lab: Sustaining Practices (with Alison Turnbull), London, UK
2018 Shortlist: The Sainsbury Scholarship in Painting & Sculpture, British School at Rome, Italy
2017 John Fergus Family Scholarship Award ($1,000), Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
2016 Alumni Grants for Graduate Research & Scholarship ($1,935), Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
2016 Ann Hamilton Travel Grant, Columbus, OH, USA
2015 Arts & Humanities Graduate Research Grant ($200), Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
2014 Arts & Humanities Graduate Research Grant ($200), Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
2014 Graduate Teaching Associate (2014-17), Full Tuition Fellowship & Stipend, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
2014 Shortlist: Herbert Smith Freehills Works in Print 2014 Arts Graduate Prize, London, UK
2014 Selected for inclusion in the Clyde & Co 2014 Art Awards, London, UK
2013 Erasmus Scholarship, National Academy of the Arts, Oslo, Norway
2013 Exhibition Grant, Fotogalleriet, Norway
2013 Exhibition Grant, Fritt Ord, Norway
Publications & Interviews
2024 Article, Emerging Artist Interview with Sam van Strien, Made In Bed Magazine for Sotheby’s Institute, Online
2023 Exhibition Review, “Notes from Another Place” at the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, Lubbock, Glasstire, Online
2023 Article, Sam van Strien participates in the International Residency Program of the NARS Foundation, Dutch Culture USA, Online
2022 Article, Astonishing set of pandemic drawings on show at Dundee University, The Daily Record, Online
2021 Exhibition Catalogue, Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize 2021, Drawing Projects, Catalogue
2021 Article, UAL alumni selected for prestigious Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize, University of the Arts London, Online
2021 Conversation with Alison Turnbull, NPA Lab 2020: Alison Turnbull x Sam van Strien, New Platform Art, Online
2021 Video Interview, NAF Live TV – Culture Edition, The Netherland-America Foundation, Vimeo, Online
2020 Article, Urban Reckoning, Korea.net, Online
2020 Conversation with Sebastian Reis, Long Range Studio Visit, PADA Studios, Online
2020 Exhibition Review, A Pattern Language, Georgina May Saunders, Online
2018 Interview, Norway: Arts and Education Exchange, British Council Norway, Online
2017 Newspaper Article, Ryktet Om Ålviks Død Er Betydelig Overdrevet, Bergens Tidende, Online
2017 Video Interview, Interview with Sam van Strien, Urban Arts Space, Online
2016 Exhibition Catalogue, Alter + Combine, (SCENE) Metrospace, Michigan State University
2015 Newspaper Article, MFA Students’ Work Displayed Outside The Gallery, The Lantern, Online
2014 Magazine Article, Less Common, Issue 5, Zones 1-6: The Cities Issue, University of the Arts London, Online
2014 Article, Art Graduates Prize 2014 Shortlist Announced, Works in Print, Online
2013 Article, ‘Star, Food & Wine’ by Waxwing Exhibitions, London City Nights, Online
2013 Article, Turning Up The Heat With The ‘Hot-One-Hundred’, Fetish Form, Online
Publications As Author
2021 Essay, Place and Displacement: Rubbings From Architecture, Drawing Matter, Online
2021 Article, Free MFA’s in the US, Artquest, Online
2021 Short Essay, Carlos Diniz and The World Trade Center, Drawing Matter, Online
2017 MFA Thesis, American Electric Power: Surface, Model, & Text. Ohio State University, Online
Lectures & Presentations
2024 Conference Presentation, Arrowmont Artist Talk: Craft, Place & Identity, Tennessee Art Education Association Conference, Murfeesboro, Tennessee, USA
2024 Visiting Artist Lecture, Walters State Community College, Morristown, TN, USA
2024 Visiting Artist Lecture, Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN, USA
2023 Panel Talk, Building Capital, panel talk with Sam van Strien, Charlie Edmonds, Frances Lightbound, and Sara Stevens, The Stone Space, London, UK, Online
2023 Visiting Artist Lecture, Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts, Lubbock, TX, USA
2023 Visiting Artist Lecture, Studio and Entrepreneurship, Columbus College of Art & Design, Columbus, OH, USA
2022 Visiting Artist Lecture, Professional Topics, Texas Tech University, Lubbock, TX, USA
2022 Artist Talk, Drawing Discussion with Patrick O’Rourke and Sam van Strien, Drawing Projects, Trowbridge, UK
2020 Artist Talk, A Pattern Language, The Stone Space, London, UK
2020 Conference Presentation, Medium Conference, London School of Mosaic, London, UK
Collections
Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN, USA
Art Gazette Collection, London, UK
The Edith Fergus Gilmore Fund Collection, Columbus, OH, USA
The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
Worthington Yards Collection, The Dalad Group, Cleveland, OH, USA
Teaching Experience
2024 – 2025 Artist-in-Residence, Arrowmont School of Arts & Crafts, Gatlinburg, TN, USA
Community Workshop: Surrealist Drawing
Community Workshop: Architectural Drawing
ArtReach Workshops: Storytelling through Architecture
2022 – 2023 Visiting Lecturer, Imperial College, London, UK
Beginners Drawing
Architectural Drawing
2021 – 2023 Learning & Public Programmes Facilitator, Pitzhanger Manor & Gallery, London, UK
2015 – 2017 Graduate Teaching Associate, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
Intermediate Drawing
Beginners Drawing
2014 – 2015 Teaching Assistant, Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
Holography
Beginners Drawing