Email fernandoannette@yahoo.co.uk
Address London
Annette Fernando (b. 1991, London) is a multi-disciplinary artist, curator, and writer of Sri Lankan, French and Italian heritage. She holds a BA in Fine Art from Central Saint Martins and an MA in Contemporary Art from Sotheby's Institute of Art, where she was awarded the Cultural Leaders Scholarship.
Fernando's creative repertoire encompasses drawing, printmaking, painting, and film. Her diverse portfolio extends beyond traditional fine art to include scenic painting for television and film sets, window displays, public murals, and fashion projects. Her current work is rooted in a deep attentiveness to the world around her, seeking to immortalise everyday scenes and the beauty of nature — slowing down, meditating on the rhythms of life, and capturing the quiet wonder of moments often overlooked.
Fernando's work has garnered significant recognition, including winning the Jerwood Drawing Prize in 2014 and selections for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition in 2021 and 2023. Her pieces are held in public and private collections across the USA, France, Turkey, Hong Kong, and the UK.
Clients
Alexander McQueen
Batsford Books
Burleigh Pottery
Chateau Kalpak Vineyard
De Beers Group
Doodlers Anonymous
Earls Court Development Company
Fitzrovia Noir
Forevermark
ICA: Institute of Contemporary Art
London Art Fair
Made in Bed Magazine
Maximum Rocknroll Zine
Moof Magazine
Museum X
Republic London
Routledge Books
Royal Court Theatre
Spitalfields studios
Supersets
Tate Britain
(The) Curious Nothing Magazine
University of the Arts London
Skills
Art Consulting
Art Workshops
Community Engagement
Community Outreach
Contemporary Art
Exhibition Curation
Exhibition Installation
Event Production
Illustration
Interviewing
Marketing
Painting
Photoshop
Portraits
Product Design
Project Management
Scenic Painting
Strategic Partnerships
Window Dressing
Writing
Education
Sotheby's Institute of Art
MA in Contemporary Art
London, UK · September 2023 – 2025
Awarded the Cultural Leaders Scholarship
Camberwell College of Art, University of the Arts London
Diploma in Foundation Studies (Art & Design)
London, UK · 2010 – 2011
Awards
| 2025 | Artist Residency, Earls Court Development Company |
| 2023 | Cultural Leaders Scholarship, Sothebys Institute of Art and Culture& |
| 2022 | Artist Residency, Fitzrovia Noir |
| 2014 | Winner of the Student Award, Jerwood Drawing Prize |
| 2014 | Artist Residency, La Porte Peinte Centre Pour Les Arts |
Exhibitions
| 2026 | Sri Lankan Diaspora Exhibition, Curated by Chandraguptha Thenuwera, Lionel Wendt Gallery, Sri Lanka (Upcoming) |
| 2026 | Natural Diamond Workshop, De Beers Group, Beijing, China (upcoming) |
| 2026 | Affordable Art Fair, Siger Gallery, Hong Kong (upcoming) |
| 2026 | Ode to Us, Galleria Objets, London, UK |
| 2026 | Affordable Art Fair, Siger Gallery, Battersea, London |
| 2026 | London Art Fair, Siger Gallery, London, UK |
| 2025 | The Multifaceted Self, De Beers Group, Lane Crawford, Hong Kong |
| 2025 | Affordable Art Fair, Siger Gallery, Singapore |
| 2025 | What Does A Collector Collect, (Curator) Republic, London |
| 2025 | 8th International Ch Kalpak Art Festival, Turkey |
| 2025 | Friends Together, The House of Denna, London, UK |
| 2025 | Affordable Art Fair, Siger Gallery, Hong Kong |
| 2025 | Natural Diamond Workshop, De Beers Group, Landmark, Hong Kong |
| 2025 | You And Me We Are Family (Curator), Greatorex Street, London, UK |
| 2024 | In the FootSteps of the East London Group, Nunnery Gallery, London, UK |
| 2024 | A Butterfly & Horse|Clare Strand (Co-Curator), V&A, London, UK |
| 2024 | Artful Struggles: Art from Sri Lanka, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK |
| 2024 | Salon Des Etrangers, Art Factory, Venice, Italy |
| 2024 | Cinematic Life (Solo), Making Space, London, UK |
| 2023 | Traces: Story of Migration by Lucy Orta, Nunnery Gallery, London, UK |
| 2023 | Talent on Film Screening, Wellcome Collection, London, UK |
| 2023 | Trio of Summer Workshop (Art Fascilitator), ICA, London, UK |
| 2023 | London Trees, Lauderdale House, London, UK |
| 2023 | Signs of Life (Curator), Making Space Gallery, London, UK |
| 2023 | 21 Day Conversation (Curator), ECDC Gallery, London, UK |
| 2022 | Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair, Woolwich Works, London, UK |
| 2022 | It's a Lovely Day Tomorrow (solo), Making Space Gallery, London, UK |
| 2022 | Galavanise (Curator), Spitalfields studios, London, UK |
| 2022 | The Urban Sublime, The Coningsbury Gallery, London, UK |
| 2022 | Art Car Boot Fair, London, UK |
| 2022 | Art on a Postcard (Auction), The Bomb Factory, London, UK |
| 2021 | Summer Exhibition, Royal Academy, London, UK |
| 2021 | From Scratch (Curator), Spitalfields Studios, London, UK |
| 2020 | Being With trees, Bermondsey Project Space, London, UK |
| 2019 | Art on a Postcard (Auction), Devonshire Square, London, UK |
| 2019 | John Hughes Did Not Direct My Life (Solo), Monate Gallery, London, UK |
| 2019 | Urban Contemporaries, Espacio Gallery, London, UK |
| 2018 | Here Then, Was I, Thames-Side Studios Gallery, London, UK |
| 2016 | The Maverick Expo (Group), Noho Showrooms, London, UK |
| 2016 | Through a Screen Darkly (Group), Gallery Sensei, London, UK |
| 2015 | Girls Like Us (Solo), RV8Y Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| 2015 | Slap: Adhesives and Egos, RV8Y Gallery, Colombo, Sri Lanka |
| 2015 | Ayeneh Gardan, Cultural Centre Eduardo Úrculo, Madrid, Spain |
| 2014 | Barcelona International Fair, Casa Batlló, Barcelona, Spain |
| 2014 | Jerwood Drawing Prize, Jerwood Space, London, UK |
| 2014 | Quotidien, La Porte Peinte, France |
| 2013 | Jerwood Drawing Prize, Jerwood Space, London, UK |
| 2013 | Innocent and Aware, Camden Arts Centre, London, UK |
Experience
De Beers Group
Artist
London, Hong Kong & Beijing · 2024 – Present
As the commissioned artist for De Beers Group, I have developed an ongoing creative collaboration, transforming their London headquarters through a series of bespoke artworks and installations for their exclusive natural diamond workshop series. My immersive environments have brought together industry leaders across multiple locations, with my work serving as a dynamic backdrop that elevates discussions and sparks creative dialogue among participants. The collaboration has since extended internationally, with the workshop design touring to Hong Kong in partnership with Lane Crawford and Landmark, and further to Beijing.
University of the Arts London
Head of Partnerships for the Alumni of Colour Association (AoCA)
London, UK · December 2023
As a Committee Member of the Alumni of Colour Association, I help organise three annual events supporting UAL alumni from diverse backgrounds in the creative industries. Run by alumni volunteers, the Association fosters connections and provides resources for people of colour in the arts.
In my role as Head of Partnerships, I actively seek and develop collaboration opportunities. Notable contributions include organising a private tour at the Royal Museums Greenwich with Dr Errol Francis CEO of Culture&, and Victoria Lane, Senior Curator of Art and Identity, to share their expertise on Bishop Jacqueline’s Keeper of Secrets and the Queen's House collection comission. A tour of The Time is Always Now at the National Portrait Gallery and a UAL alumni film screening at the Wellcome Collection. Mentoring recent UAL graduates to create a graduation showcase.
Art Facilitator
Visting Lecturer | Public Speaker | Mentor | Workshops
2025 Mentor for Recent UAL Graduates, University of the Arts London, UK
2024 Guest Lecturer at the University of the Visual and Performing Arts (VAPA), Colombo, Sri Lanka
2024 Guest Speaker on 'Artist Chats by Lana Lê', Online Instagram Live
2024 Panel Discussion 'Citizen by Descent' Book Launch, Making Space, London, UK
2023 Curated and Facilitated Summer Workshops for the ICA Youth Programme, London, UK
2023 Speaker in 'Urban Art Symposium', The Institute of Contemporary Arts (ICA), London, Uk
2023 Facilitating and designing children's art workshops for Aberfeldy Big Local, London, UK
2023 Facilitating art workshops and talks for the Earls Court Development Company, London, UK
2022 Facilitating a series of collage, print and crochet workshops at Making Space, London Uk
2017 Facilitating workshops and creating a mural for CAHMS Hammersmith
2011 Assisting print workshops in the City of London Festival, Part of the Big Draw
2009 Facilitating art workshops for AgeUK
Venice Biennale
Project Manager
Venice, Italy · 2023
Press Attache and Project Manager of 'home' by Temsuyanger Longkumer, an immersive film installation selected for the 80th Venice International Film Festival 2023.
Alexander McQueen
Leather Painter
Paris, France · 2019 – 2019
Hand painting the shoes for the Women's Spring/Summer 2019 Paris Fashion Week Show and 2016 London Fashion week Show
Kochi-Muziris Biennale
Project Manager
Kochi, India · 2018
I managed the London team overseeing research, film editing for 100+ films, and the sound and installation for Temsuyanger Longkumer’s 'God’s Summit II; and installation selected for the 4th Kochi-Muziris Biennale: Possibilities for a Non-Alienated Life, 2018.
Harrods
Scenic Painter
London, UK · 2018
Scenic Painter for the Harrods Christmas Grotto 2018
Window Dresser for the Chelsea Flower Show display 2015
Publications
Writer and Illustrator
London
Published Essay:
2025 ‘Russell Herron: The Fragmented Self-Portrait’ for Russell Herron 500 Small Cardboard Portraits ISBN 978-1-0369-2713-4
Published Illustrations:
2025 Routledge Handbook of Arts and Health (Illustrated the Front Cover) ISBN: 9781032546957
2025 ArtReview Book Review, August Online (Access Denied Illustration) https://artreview.com/citizen-by-descent-kritika-arya-review-pramodha-weerasekera/
2024 In the Footsteps of the East London Group, Batsford Books Hardback ISBN: 9781849949354
2023 Citizen By Descent by Kritika Arya ISBN: 978-93-5980-058-5
2023 The Curious Nothing Magazine, 'Alice in Wonderland', Issue 1
2023 Moof Mag, Illustration for 'Revenge of the Land Spirits' Issue 11
2014 Doodlers Anonymous Colouring Book, 'Lana Del Ray', Volume 4, 2014
2013 Maximum Rocknroll 'Hybrid', issue 365 October 2013
2009 Poster for 'Peace in the Park' for the Friends of Holland Park
2007 Summer Workshop Leaflet for the Royal Court Theatre