about

Benjamin Sebastian (1980 AUS/GB) is a trans-disciplinary artist-curator based in London (U.K.). Working predominantly in textiles, performance, collage, installation, new media and curating - their practice is rooted in processes of bricolage, assemblage, ritual/ceremony, and reworlding. Their curatorial work centres on amplifying the voices of neurodivergent, queer, global majority & womxn artists - specialising in both contemporary & ultra-contemporary art, with a keen focus on performance art and time-based media.

Installation view: ‘Holding The Shadow While Calling Back The Light’ at Herbert Read Gallery - Canterbury. Image courtesy of the artist - 2024

Sebastian is currently undertaking a period of funded R&D (2025/26) - supported by Art Council England’s ‘Developing Your Creative Practice’ scheme - as well as co-curating VSSL Studio’s cultural programme; ‘Entanglements of the Apocalypse’ (2025/26). They recently completed the fourth and final touring season of their solo exhibition ‘Holding The Shadow While Calling Back The Light’ (2024/25).

Performance documentation: ‘Phoenix’ at ]performance s p a c e [ - Hackney Wick, London. Photography by Marco Berardi - 2013

Through harmonizing nonbinary perspectives along with neurodivergent cognition and decolonial practices, Sebastian’s visual art and curatorial work weave together critical research, lived experience, and speculative methodologies. This holistic approach holds space for alternative narratives & ways of remembering to emerge, while creatively engaging the present to chart pathways toward yet-to-be-imagined futures.

Installation view: ‘Every Hole A Portal Every Piece A Bridge’ at VSSL Studio - London. Photography by Marco Berardi - 2023

In compliment to their artistic and curatorial work, Sebastian is currently artistic director of VSSL Studio - a gallery dedicated to the development and production of contemporary, queer artistic practice - and previously co-founded & directed ]performance s p a c e [ (2011-2023); England’s pre-eminent performance-art-specific organisation.

‘Jonny (On The Genealogy Of Morals)’. Image courtesy of the artist - 2012

Sebastian recieved their BA Fine Art HONS (1st Class) from the University of Lincoln and MA Curating Art and Public Programmes (Distinction) through Whitechapel Gallery/London Southbank University. Their continued research interests include; Artificial Intelligence, Occult Practices, Queer Ecologies, Decoloniality, Contemporary Performance & Visual Art.

‘The Seemingly Innocent Are Not Without Danger’. Photography by Eda Sancakdar - 2024

Sebastian and their affiliated projects have recieved funding from Arts Council England, the British Council, Greater London Authority, Creative Folkestone, Kent County Council, Inspire Lewisham, Roger De Haan Charitable Trust and Live Art U.K. as well as other charities and local authorities.

Video still: ‘Crossing’ at ]performance s p a c e [ - Deptford, London. Image courtesy of the artist - 2014

Some of their most recent activities include: co-curating ‘Entanglements of the Apocalypse’ at VSSL Studio, touring of their solo exhibition ‘Holding The Shadow While Calling Back The Light’ (2024/25), re-performing ‘Phoenix’ at CT20, being in conversation with Tamsin Hong (Exhibitions Curator - Serpentine Galleries), co-curating ‘Archipelago: Visions in Orbit’ at Whitechapel Gallery (2024/25), performance of ‘Calling Back The Light (Holding The Shadow)’ and participation in the group exhibition ‘Pretty Doomed’ at Ugly Duck (2023), a joint exhibition with Alicia Radage (2023), and curating a series of solo exhibitions from June Lam, Rocío Boliver & Marcin Gawin as part of ‘FACET’ at VSSL Studio (2023).

Performance documentation: ‘Excerpt: 3 Reflections²’ at VSSL Studio - London. Photography by Marco Berardi - 2023

Additional recent activity has included: guest curating the ‘Intersect series’ at the Live Art Development Agency (2023), speaking on the symposium; ‘Art, Memory & Place’ at Turner Contemporary (2022), as well as performance of their live installation ‘3 Reflections²’ as part of FUTURERITUAL at the Institute of Contemporary Art, London (2022).

Installation view: ‘Working With Entities//Setting Intent’ at VSSL Studio - London. Image courtesy of the artist - 2021

Notable previous activity has also included: curating ‘PSX: A Decade of Performance Art in the U.K.’ (2021) on behalf of ]performance s p a c e [, exhibition of their solo show ‘Working With Entities//Setting Intent’ (2021), and curation of VSSL Studio’s inaugural programme; ‘Gathering in a Time of Plague’ (2021).

‘Sigil IV - Entanglements (Torresian/Carrion/Entity II)’ - Giclée print on calico, calico, gold leaf, cotton thread - H:162cm x W:62cm unframed - 2024

A selection of Sebastian’s exhibition history may be viewed through this link, and a comprehensive list of their curatorial projects can be viewed here. Subscription to their mailing list is through this link.

Photographic documentation - Becoming Constellation - I AM RESILIENT sigil - 2016-Ongoing

projects

VSSL Studio
- was co-founded in 2020 by Benjamin Sebastian & Joseph Morgan Schofield as a place of gathering and creation for contemporary, queer visual art and its’ satellites. 2021 saw the gallery’s inaugural public cultural programme; ‘Gathering in a Time of Plague’.

In 2023 VSSL presented its second curatorial project; FACET, curated by Benjamin Sebastian and co-produced by Ash McNaughton & Mine Kaplangı.

In 2025, VSSL launched Entanglements Of The Apocalypse - led by Mine Kaplangı and co-curated by Benajmin Sebastian, Ash McNaughton and Joseph Morgan Schofield.

Partnerships todate have included: Inspire Lewisham, WE EXIST, Deptford X, The Horse Hospital, Antiuniversity, Goldsmiths University, Queer Art Projects, ArtVerge, artfridge, Rose Choreographic School, Rose Bruford College, Atelier PR, ABSTRAKT PR, Studio MaBa (Marco Berardi and Baiba Sprance) and Carefuffle - along with public funding from the National Lottery, Arts Council England, Lewisham Council and Cultúr Éireann | Culture Ireland.

VSSL is a queer & neurodivergent led organisation.

www.vssl-studio.org

]performance s p a c e [
- was co-founded in 2011 by Benjamin Sebastian & Bean with the mission: ‘to nurture the prime conditions for performance art(ists) in the U.K.’ After Bean’s departure in 2020, Sebastian continued as Artistic Director until 2023, inviting momentary associate directoships from both Joseph Morgan Schofield and Ash McNaughton.

]ps[ was annually funded by Arts Council England between 2012 & 2021 - most recently in 2021 for the organisations 10th anniversary programme; ‘PSX: A Decade of Performance Art in the U.K.’.

Partnerships todate have included: Grace Exhibition Space, Live Art Developement Agency, Grüntaler9, Ugly Duck, Art360, Venice International Performance Art Week, Live Art UK, Bbeyond, Performance Matters, Marlborough Productions, ABSTRAKT PR, Diverse Actions, PAErsche, Studio MaBa (Marco Berardi and Baiba Sprance), Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, Home Live Art, and FUTURERITUAL - along with public funding from the National Lottery, Arts Council England, Kent County Council, Roger De Haan Charitable Trust, Kent Wildlife Trust, The legacy List and Creative Folkestone.

]performance s p a c e [ is a queer & neurodivergent led organisation.

www.performancespace.org

Becoming Constellation
- was initiated in 2016 by Benjamin Sebastian as an ever evolving / incompletable, transmedial artwork and exhibition.

Encompassing sigil craft, tattooing, visual art exhibition & a continually growing collaborator set; Becoming Constellation seeks to map queer narrative production across people, geographies and time. Collaborators to date include:

Fabiola Paz,
Dani de’Emilia,
Ryan Burke,
JD Melling,
Keoui Keijaun Thomas,
Alicia Radage,
Andre Braga Verissimo,
Bean,
Joseph Morgan Schofield,
Matteo Cortés Rios,
Jade Montserrat
and Esther Neff.

The project continues and invites collaboration.

becoming constellation

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