Shona Illingworth creates evocative video and sound installations that explore the experience of memory and the formation of identity in situations of social tension and trauma. The artist has worked closely with scientists to explore the complex psychologies of individual and collective memory, particularly in circumstances where a sense of self (individual or collective) is under threat, to examine how this informs our sense of place and location.

Illingworth was commissioned by Film and Video Umbrella to make ‘Balnakiel’ in 2009, a work that formed a powerful exploration into the individual experience of the fragmentation of trauma memory and how this relates to a collective set of memories. This installation comprised of a single-channel video and three-dimensional sound and was premiered at John Hansard Gallery, Southampton.

The artist’s work has been shown at the Wellcome Collection, London; ArtSway, Hampshire; the Hayward Gallery and Dilston Grove, London; and Cornerhouse, Manchester as well as on Channel 4 television. In 2002 she was fellow at the Stanley Picker Gallery, Kingston University.