C.V.
William Handley
Napier, New Zealand, 1981
Vive e trabalha | Lives and works:
Porto, Portugal
Formacao | Education:
2018 Sculpture, FBAUP, Universidade do Porto
2004 Architecture, Victoria University,
Wellington, Unitec, Auckland
Exposições Individuais | Solo Shows:
2025 Reduction, open studio, Porto
2022 Postscript, Atelier Concorde, Lisbon
2021 Plant Data, Galeria da Biodiversidade
MHNC–UP, Museu de História Natural
e da Ciência da Universidade do Porto
2019 Continuity Forum, Galeria do Sol, Porto
2019 Learning without language, RDC516, Porto
2019 Omega, Artes, Mota Galiza, Porto
2016 Sponsored Content, Century, London
2014 Notable Outcomes, Sanderson, Auckland
2008 Re:Vision, Sanderson, Auckland
2007 Opening, City Art Rooms, Auckland
2006 I am why, Sanderson, Auckland
Exposições Colectivas | Group Shows:
2024 Super Natural Voices, Mono, Lisbon
with Alice dos Reis, Daniel Godínez Nivón,
Joana Patrão, Rosanna Helena Bach and
Solimán López. Curated by Jule Kurbjeweit
2023 Human is a Cosmic Plant, Frappant, Hamburg
with Lukas Kindermann and Paula König
Curated by Judith Hofer
2022 myoo-choo-uh-liz-uhm, Espaço Pontes,
Fundão with Inês Teles. Curated by Dose
2021 Trauma Response, Duplex AIR, Lisbon
with Catarina Simão, Filipe Cortez,
Juliana Matsumura, Maria Máximo, Marie
Antoinette and Theodore Ereira-Guyer
Curated by Judith Hofer
2019 Omega, Via Aberta, Mota Galiza, Porto
with Xavier Paes
2019 VIA ABERTA, Mota Galiza, Porto
with Aglaíze Damasceno, Alisa Heil,
Ana Pérez-Quiroga, André Alves,
António Lago, Artristas (Joana Ribeiro,
Gonçalo Araújo, Miguel Ângelo), Avelino
Sá, Celeste Cerqueira, Cláudia Lopes,
Cristina Regadas, Cubranco, Felícia
Teixeira and João Brojo, Fernando
Sebastião, Filipa Araújo, Filipe Cortez,
Francisco Babo, Francisco Laranjeira,
José Almeida Pereira, Joana Dark e
Vidente Cego, José Oliveira, Josep Maynou,
Luísa Abreu, Luísa Mota, Manuel Santos
Maia, Maria Sottomayor, Mauro Cerqueira,
Max Fernandes, Nettie Burnett, Nuno
Ramalho, Parva Música, Paulo Lisboa,
Paulo Mendes, Porto Post Doc, Ricardo
Bueno, Sérgio Leitão, Silvestre Pestana,
Sónia Carvalho, Tales Frey, Vera Mota,
Vítor Israel
Curated by Luísa Mota, José Maia,
José Almeida Pereira e José Oliveira
2019 TQMS, Two Queens, Leicester
with Bogdan Anda, Lucy Andrews, Gino
Attwood, James Chantry, Daniel Cowlam,
Penny Davis, Jane Domingos, Mateus
Domingos, Luke Elson, Johnny Green,
Jack Halford, Les Hayden, Tim Hardman,
Sam Harriman, Austin Higgins, Leila
Houston, Kate Jackson, Kerry Jackson,
Khush Kali, Julie Kilminster, Daniel
Sean Kelly, Ashok Mistry, Tim Neath,
Tony Walker and Emma Willis
2015 5 floors 18 artists, Century, London
Leo Babsky, BJ Broekhuizan, Jessica Dolby,
Clare Hoddinott, Cat Ingrams, Gala Knorr,
Inga Loyeva, Antonia Mckenzie, Samantha
Mogelonsky, Bethany Murray, Simao
Romualdo, Brendan Murphy, Jane Elizabeth
Smith, Rikki Turner, Su Wang, Mary Yacoob
and Jwan Yosef
2014 Melbourne Art Fair, Melbourne
2010 Tape Modern No.13, Tape Modern, Berlin
Guillaume Airiaud, Maxime Ballesteros,
Patrick Cierpka, Dominique Faix, Marcus
Knupp, Alexa Kreissl, Roman Kutzowitz,
Melanie Manchot, Nik Nowak, Anton
Stoianov, Tulip Enterprise, Ulrich Vogl,
Kandis Williams and Christopher Winter.
Curated by Amir Fattal
2008 Unlimited, City Art Rooms, Auckland
with Cat Auburn, Kevin Capon, Liyen Chong,
Scott Eady, Gill Gatfield, Young Sun Han,
Sam Hartnett, John Hurrell, Matt Molloy,
Jessica Pearless and Kate Woods
Video works: Jill Kennedy, Owen Leong
Curated by Young Sun Han
2008 Bridge Art Fair, OTA Berlin
with Cat Auburn, Kevin Capon, Liyen Chong,
Scott Eady, Gill Gatfield, Young Sun Han,
Sam Hartnett, John Hurrell, Matt Molloy,
Jessica Pearless and Kate Woods.
Curated by Young Sun Han
2008 Auckland Art Fair, Auckland
2007 Summer Exhibition, Sanderson, Auckland
Curated by Tamara Darragh
2006 POP, Sanderson, Auckland
Curated by Tamara Darragh
Residências | Residencies:
2021 AE Residency, Faculty of Science
University of Porto, Portugal
2020 Mobility Research Residency, Cripta747
Turin, Italy
2019 Data Research Residency
Laboratory of Plant Ecology
Ghent, Belgium
Resenhas E Artigos Selecionados
| Selected Reviews & Articles:
2023 A humanização da autonomia de uma máquina
Essay by Sara Magno, ARTECAPITAL
Published Dec–1
2022 myoo-choo-uh-liz-uhm, KUBAPARIS
Published Oct–3
2021 Plant Data, Plant Communication
Essay by Alice Bonnot, Contemporary Hum
Published Jul–22
- - - - -
Biografia | Biography:
Will Handley (b. 1981, New Zealand) is a visual artist living and working in Porto, Portugal. His work in painting, drawing, and sculpture is informed by non-narrative approaches, a disciplined simplicity, and an exploration of Eastern philosophy through space, line and form. Grounded in both conceptual inquiry and embodied making, his work investigates the drawn and the undrawn, the occupied and the unoccupied — approaching art production through the lens of non-narrative expression.
Since 2006, Handley’s practice has encompassed painting, conceptual, environmental and activist projects, sound works, and more recently, reductionist and minimalist forms. His early foundation in painting (2006–2014) evolved into a ten-year period of conceptually driven and collaborative work, culminating in the development of the anonymous, process-based platform Yota Ayaan (2019–2024). These years marked a development of his interest in chance, impermanence, and the poetics of interbeing—central tenets in his philosophical inquiry.
His recent work returns to drawing as a non-narrative act, through sparse, monochromatic gestures and minimal interventions, Handley invites a condition of openness rather than resolution.
Informed by the study of emptiness and the spaces between, his practice positions the body as both instrument and observer. Emphasizing process over product and attention over assertion, his work resists narrative closure in favour of experiential openness—foregrounding the quiet, the subtle, and the unseen. He is an associate of the monastic Order of Interbeing (Tiep Hien) Zen Buddhism, and continues to explore the integration of artistic practice and philosophical engagement.
Handley has been an artist-in-residence at the Faculty of Science, FCUP, University of Porto, Portugal (2021); awarded a Mobility Research Residency at Cripta747, Turin, Italy (2020); and completed a Research Residency on Data of Acoustic Emissions at the Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Belgium (2019).
His work has been shown in exhibitions including: Super Natural Voices, Mono Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal (2024); Human is a Cosmic Plant, Frappant e.V., Hamburg, Germany (2023); Postscript, Atelier Concorde, Lisbon, Portugal (2022); myoo-choo-uh-liz-uhm, Espaço Pontes, Fundão, Portugal (2022); Plant Data, Galeria da Biodiversidade, MHNC-UP, Porto, Portugal (2021); Duplex AIR, Lisbon, Portugal (2021); Two Queens, Leicester, United Kingdom (2019); Century, London, United Kingdom (2015, 2016); Melbourne Art Fair, Australia (2014); Tape Modern, Berlin, Germany (2010); City Art Rooms, Auckland, New Zealand (2008); Bridge Art Fair, Berlin, Germany (2008); Auckland Art Fair, New Zealand (2007, 2008); and Sanderson Contemporary, Auckland, New Zealand (2006–2014).
Atelier | Studio:
Praça de Lisboa, Porto, 4050-161
Portfolio available on request
Contactos | Contact:
willhandleyart @ gmail.com
Links:
Order of Interbeing (OI), Tiep Hien
https://orderofinterbeing.org/
Yota Ayaan
https://yotaayaan.org/
C.V.
William Handley
Napier, New Zealand, 1981
Vive e trabalha | Lives and works:
Porto, Portugal
Formacao | Education:
2018 Sculpture, FBAUP, Universidade do Porto
2004 Architecture, Victoria University,
Wellington, Unitec, Auckland
Exposições Individuais | Solo Shows:
2025 Reduction, open studio, Porto
2022 Postscript, Atelier Concorde, Lisbon
2021 Plant Data, Galeria da Biodiversidade
MHNC–UP, Museu de História Natural
e da Ciência da Universidade do Porto
2019 Continuity Forum, Galeria do Sol, Porto
2019 Learning without language, RDC516, Porto
2019 Omega, Artes, Mota Galiza, Porto
2016 Sponsored Content, Century, London
2014 Notable Outcomes, Sanderson, Auckland
2008 Re:Vision, Sanderson, Auckland
2007 Opening, City Art Rooms, Auckland
2006 I am why, Sanderson, Auckland
Exposições Colectivas | Group Shows:
2024 Super Natural Voices, Mono, Lisbon
with Alice dos Reis, Daniel Godínez Nivón,
Joana Patrão, Rosanna Helena Bach and
Solimán López. Curated by Jule Kurbjeweit
2023 Human is a Cosmic Plant, Frappant, Hamburg
with Lukas Kindermann and Paula König
Curated by Judith Hofer
2022 myoo-choo-uh-liz-uhm, Espaço Pontes,
Fundão with Inês Teles. Curated by Dose
2021 Trauma Response, Duplex AIR, Lisbon
with Catarina Simão, Filipe Cortez,
Juliana Matsumura, Maria Máximo, Marie
Antoinette and Theodore Ereira-Guyer
Curated by Judith Hofer
2019 Omega, Via Aberta, Mota Galiza, Porto
with Xavier Paes
2019 VIA ABERTA, Mota Galiza, Porto
with Aglaíze Damasceno, Alisa Heil,
Ana Pérez-Quiroga, André Alves,
António Lago, Artristas (Joana Ribeiro,
Gonçalo Araújo, Miguel Ângelo), Avelino
Sá, Celeste Cerqueira, Cláudia Lopes,
Cristina Regadas, Cubranco, Felícia
Teixeira and João Brojo, Fernando
Sebastião, Filipa Araújo, Filipe Cortez,
Francisco Babo, Francisco Laranjeira,
José Almeida Pereira, Joana Dark e
Vidente Cego, José Oliveira, Josep Maynou,
Luísa Abreu, Luísa Mota, Manuel Santos
Maia, Maria Sottomayor, Mauro Cerqueira,
Max Fernandes, Nettie Burnett, Nuno
Ramalho, Parva Música, Paulo Lisboa,
Paulo Mendes, Porto Post Doc, Ricardo
Bueno, Sérgio Leitão, Silvestre Pestana,
Sónia Carvalho, Tales Frey, Vera Mota,
Vítor Israel
Curated by Luísa Mota, José Maia,
José Almeida Pereira e José Oliveira
2019 TQMS, Two Queens, Leicester
with Bogdan Anda, Lucy Andrews, Gino
Attwood, James Chantry, Daniel Cowlam,
Penny Davis, Jane Domingos, Mateus
Domingos, Luke Elson, Johnny Green,
Jack Halford, Les Hayden, Tim Hardman,
Sam Harriman, Austin Higgins, Leila
Houston, Kate Jackson, Kerry Jackson,
Khush Kali, Julie Kilminster, Daniel
Sean Kelly, Ashok Mistry, Tim Neath,
Tony Walker and Emma Willis
2015 5 floors 18 artists, Century, London
Leo Babsky, BJ Broekhuizan, Jessica Dolby,
Clare Hoddinott, Cat Ingrams, Gala Knorr,
Inga Loyeva, Antonia Mckenzie, Samantha
Mogelonsky, Bethany Murray, Simao
Romualdo, Brendan Murphy, Jane Elizabeth
Smith, Rikki Turner, Su Wang, Mary Yacoob
and Jwan Yosef
2014 Melbourne Art Fair, Melbourne
2010 Tape Modern No.13, Tape Modern, Berlin
Guillaume Airiaud, Maxime Ballesteros,
Patrick Cierpka, Dominique Faix, Marcus
Knupp, Alexa Kreissl, Roman Kutzowitz,
Melanie Manchot, Nik Nowak, Anton
Stoianov, Tulip Enterprise, Ulrich Vogl,
Kandis Williams and Christopher Winter.
Curated by Amir Fattal
2008 Unlimited, City Art Rooms, Auckland
with Cat Auburn, Kevin Capon, Liyen Chong,
Scott Eady, Gill Gatfield, Young Sun Han,
Sam Hartnett, John Hurrell, Matt Molloy,
Jessica Pearless and Kate Woods
Video works: Jill Kennedy, Owen Leong
Curated by Young Sun Han
2008 Bridge Art Fair, OTA Berlin
with Cat Auburn, Kevin Capon, Liyen Chong,
Scott Eady, Gill Gatfield, Young Sun Han,
Sam Hartnett, John Hurrell, Matt Molloy,
Jessica Pearless and Kate Woods.
Curated by Young Sun Han
2008 Auckland Art Fair, Auckland
2007 Summer Exhibition, Sanderson, Auckland
Curated by Tamara Darragh
2006 POP, Sanderson, Auckland
Curated by Tamara Darragh
Residências | Residencies:
2021 AE Residency, Faculty of Science
University of Porto, Portugal
2020 Mobility Research Residency, Cripta747
Turin, Italy
2019 Data Research Residency
Laboratory of Plant Ecology
Ghent, Belgium
Resenhas E Artigos Selecionados
| Selected Reviews & Articles:
2023 A humanização da autonomia de uma máquina
Essay by Sara Magno, ARTECAPITAL
Published Dec–1
2022 myoo-choo-uh-liz-uhm, KUBAPARIS
Published Oct–3
2021 Plant Data, Plant Communication
Essay by Alice Bonnot, Contemporary Hum
Published Jul–22
- - - - -
Biografia | Biography:
Will Handley (b. 1981, New Zealand) is a visual artist living and working in Porto, Portugal. His work in painting, drawing, and sculpture is informed by non-narrative approaches, a disciplined simplicity, and an exploration of Eastern philosophy through space, line and form. Grounded in both conceptual inquiry and embodied making, his work investigates the drawn and the undrawn, the occupied and the unoccupied — approaching art production through the lens of non-narrative expression.
Since 2006, Handley’s practice has encompassed painting, conceptual, environmental and activist projects, sound works, and more recently, reductionist and minimalist forms. His early foundation in painting (2006–2014) evolved into a ten-year period of conceptually driven and collaborative work, culminating in the development of the anonymous, process-based platform Yota Ayaan (2019–2024). These years marked a development of his interest in chance, impermanence, and the poetics of interbeing—central tenets in his philosophical inquiry.
His recent work returns to drawing as a non-narrative act, through sparse, monochromatic gestures and minimal interventions, Handley invites a condition of openness rather than resolution. Informed by the study of emptiness and the spaces between, his practice positions the body as both instrument and observer. Emphasizing process over product and attention over assertion, his work resists narrative closure in favour of experiential openness—foregrounding the quiet, the subtle, and the unseen. He is an associate of the monastic Order of Interbeing (Tiep Hien) Zen Buddhism, and continues to explore the integration of artistic practice and philosophical engagement.
Handley has been an artist-in-residence at the Faculty of Science, FCUP, University of Porto, Portugal (2021); awarded a Mobility Research Residency at Cripta747, Turin, Italy (2020); and completed a Research Residency on Data of Acoustic Emissions at the Laboratory of Plant Ecology, Belgium (2019).
His work has been shown in exhibitions including: Super Natural Voices, Mono Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal (2024); Human is a Cosmic Plant, Frappant e.V., Hamburg, Germany (2023); Postscript, Atelier Concorde, Lisbon, Portugal (2022); myoo-choo-uh-liz-uhm, Espaço Pontes, Fundão, Portugal (2022); Plant Data, Galeria da Biodiversidade, MHNC-UP, Porto, Portugal (2021); Duplex AIR, Lisbon, Portugal (2021); Two Queens, Leicester, United Kingdom (2019); Century, London, United Kingdom (2015, 2016); Melbourne Art Fair, Australia (2014); Tape Modern, Berlin, Germany (2010); City Art Rooms, Auckland, New Zealand (2008); Bridge Art Fair, Berlin, Germany (2008); Auckland Art Fair, New Zealand (2007, 2008); and Sanderson Contemporary, Auckland, New Zealand (2006–2014).
Atelier | Studio:
Praça de Lisboa, Porto, 4050-161
Portfolio available on request
Contactos | Contact:
willhandleyart @ gmail.com
Links:
Order of Interbeing (OI), Tiep Hien
https://orderofinterbeing.org/
Yota Ayaan
https://yotaayaan.org/