Sacha Craddock (born August 6, 1955) is an independent art critic, writer & curator based in London. Craddock is co-founder of Artschool Palestine, co-founder or the Contemporary Art Award and council member of the Abbey Awards in Painting at the British School at Rome, Trustee of the Shelagh Cluett Trust, and President of the International Association of Art Critics AICA UK. She was chair of the Board of New Contemporaries and selection process from 1996 until December 2021.
Life and career
Born in New Zealand, Craddock relocated to Oxford as a child before moving to London in 1973, there she went on to help formulate one of the city's most well-known squats on Tolmers Square in Euston. Craddock continues to live communally along with some of the original Tolmer's residents. After completing a degree in fine art painting at Central St Martins, and a post-graduate painting degree at Chelsea School of Art, Craddock began writing art criticism for The Guardian newspaper in 1988, her first review appearing in the 26 May issue of the paper. Later Craddock was also a regular art columnist for The Times. In this capacity, Craddock reviewed exhibitions of many up and coming Young British Artists, and was the only journalist to review the pre-YBA exhibition: Freeze, which featured early work by artists such as Damien Hirst, Sarah Lucas, and Mat Collishaw. In 1996 Craddock became chair of Bloomberg New Contemporaries (formerly Young Contemporaries).
Her commitment to contemporary art encompasses curating, organizing, promoting, setting up structures, education, critical writing, and creating new networks designed to bring artists and audiences together.
Craddock has judged many art prizes, such as the Turner Prize in 1999 and the John Moores Painting Prize in 2008. In 2005 Craddock co-founded ArtSchool Palestine (ASP) with Charles Asprey, and Samar Martha, in order to promote and support Palestinian artists and aid their participation in international contemporary art exhibitions and biennales. ASP has held many events and exhibitions, including "As If By Magic", to which the British artist Damien Hirst lent his support.
Craddock has one daughter, Augusta Riddy.
Curatorial and art critic activities
Craddock's curatorial practice is informed by the current political situation, her ongoing interest in national and international new works, and her research into the public, private, educational, and institutional aspects of British Art in 1988, just before the advent of the internet.
Sacha Craddock was the co-founder of Bloomberg Space and its curator from 2002 to 2011. More recently, Craddock's curatorial contribution includes Gillian Wearing at IVAM Institut Valencià d'Art Modern, Valencia, Spain, 2015, Turner Prize 2017 at Hull, 'Strike Site' at Backlit Gallery in Nottingham, 2018, the SPECTRUM Art Award 2018 at Saatchi Gallery, and Creekside Open and Exeter Contemporary Open in 2019.
Craddock has written on contemporary international artists, including Alison Wilding, Laura Ford, Mark Boulos, Benjamin Senior, Angus Fairhurst, Richard Billingham, Jose Dávila, Chantal Joffe, Mustafa Hulusi, Andreas Reiter Raabe, Cornelia Parker, Phyllida Barlow, Heri Dono, Wolfgang Tillmans, Rosa Lee, Young In, Chris Ivey, and Alberto Savinio.
Other collaborations and activities
Myriad Editions, Graphic Novel Competition, guest judge (2020) The Incorporated Edwin Austin Abbey Memorial Scholarships and Award, The British School at Rome, board member (2010–present) The Shelagh Cluett Trust, trustee (2019) Royal Academy, The definers of success: The Successful Artist? panel discussion with artist Yinka Shonibare MBE RA, Head of the RA Schools, Eliza Bonham Carter, and the Director of Ikon Gallery Jonathan Watkins chaired by art critic and curator Sacha Craddock (2018) The International Awards for Art Criticism, IAAC 5, selection panel (2018) Vitrine Gallery, Symposium Public Sculpture: From Process to Place, guest panellist (2015) TATE Museum, American Artist Lecture Series, guest lecturer (2014) Pangaea Sculptors' Centre, True Or False: There’s No Such Thing As Sculpture, a curated conversation with Liliane Lijn, Elizabeth Neilson, Ossian Ward, Toby Ziegler and Sacha Craddock as chair (2013) John Moores 25, Contemporary Painting Prize, guest judge (2008) Braziers International Workshop, chair (1999- 2004) Venice Biennale, A series of three breakfast meetings, contributor (2003) Open Sculpture, The Royal West of England Academy, selection committee (2003) Jerwood Foundation Painting Prize, guest judge (2001) Turner Prize, guest judge (1999) The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, public art Advisor (2009-2010) Fondazione MACC, Sardinia, chair member