Sian Bonnell

Sian Bonnell (born 1956) is a British photographic artist. Her work is held in the collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Early life and education Bonnell was born in London.

Work Bonnell's practice has developed significantly over thirty years. Initially her practice was such that she "places ordinary household objects in the outdoors and, therefore, out of context. She then photographs these sculptural installations, producing imagery that is at once humorous and thought-provoking." Since then, "Bonnell's approach has developed into something she describes as 'Wilful Amateurism', which involves the fusing of sculpture and performance into something photographic." Ten Seconds, Photofusion Gallery, London, 2022

Group exhibitions Secret Garden, Angel Row Gallery, Nottingham, 2000 Seeing the Light: Narrascape, with Barbara Downs, Deborah Jones, Thomas Kellner, Clare Smith and Frank Yamrus, The New Art Gallery Walsall, Walsall, May–July 2003. Curated by Rhonda Wilson. Generations: Portraits of Holocaust Survivors, Royal Photographic Society Gallery, Bristol, January–March 2022 Wahlverwantschaft, curated by Mirjam Veldhuis, Pictura, Groningen, Netherlands, April–May 2025

Exhibitions curated by Bonnell Elusive, Camberwell College of Arts, London, February–March 2011. With work by Suky Best, Karen Brett, Kathryn Faulkner, Anna Fox, Toby Glanville, Laura Guy, Fergus Heron, Jane Hilton, Juneau Projects, Uta Kogelsberger, Chrystel Lebas, Anthony Luvera, John Miles, Wendy McMurdo, Trish Morrissey, Heidi Morstang, Spencer Murphy, Magali Nougarede, Chino Otsuka, Helen Sear, Self Publish, Be Happy, Nigel Shafran, David Spero, Tansy Spinks, Eva Stenram, Clare Strand, Patricia Townsend, Steven Tynan, and Verdi Yahooda. '...on Making', Gdansk Gallery of Photography, National Museum, Gdańsk, Poland, March–June 2019. Curated by Bonnell and Malgorzata TarazKiewicz-Zwolicka, with work by Cheryl Newman, Eleonora Agostini, Flannery O'kafka, Fleur Olby, Lydia Goldblatt, Maryam Wahid, Phoebe Kiely and Bonnell.

Awards 2010: Honorary Fellowship, Royal Photographic Society, Bath

Collections Bonnell's work is held in the following permanent collections: Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Texas: 3 prints Victoria and Albert Museum, London: 12 prints