Bissy Riva (b. 1995, Boston, MA) is a contemporary painter living and working between London, UK and Nairobi, Kenya. She received her BFA in Textiles from the Rhode Island School of Design in 2018, and completed the Graduate Diploma in Fine Art at the Royal College of Art in 2023. She is currently pursuing her MA in Painting at the Royal College of Art.
Exhibitions
2025 Rituals of Perception, D Contemporary Gallery, London, UK
Parrhesia, Hockney Gallery, London, UK
Full Disclosure, D Contemporary Gallery, London, UK
EIDOS, Indra Gallery, London, UK
Rejection, Hanger Gallery, London, UK
Holacene, 17 Lambeth Gallery, London, UK
2024 Tiny Art Show, Painting Building, London, UK
2023 Imprint, Garden House, London, UK
2022 Small Works Show, One Off Gallery, Nairobi, Kenya
NOIR Launch, NOIR Gallery, Nairobi, Kenya
2020 Xmas Box, Marula Manor, Nairobi, Kenya
2019 Dollhouse, South Philadelphia Gallery, Philadelphia, PA
2018 RISD Graduate Exhibition, New York Design Center, New York, NY
RISD Textiles Show, Woods-Gerry Gallery, Providence, RI
RISD x Spéos, Spéos Photographic Institute, Paris, France
2017 A Show About Care, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
Printmaking ISA X RISD, Providence, RI
The Hugo Ball, ACME Studio, New York, NY
2016 Off The Wall, Expose Gallery, Providence, RI
Me & Dad, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI
2015 Print & Textiles, Central Saint Martins, London, UK
Education
2025 Royal College of Art, Painting MA, London, UK
2023 Royal College of Art, Graduate Diploma, London, UK
2018 Rhode Island School of Design, BFA Textiles, Providence, RI, USA
Awards & Recognition
2025 Shortlisted, Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London, UK
Shortlisted, Jackson’s Art Prize
Residencies
2022 Olepangi Farm, Artist in Residence, Laikipia Kenya
Short Courses & Workshops
2018 Darkroom Photography, Spéos Photographic Institute, Paris, France
2017 Traditional Andean Weaving, Apulaya Center for Andean Culture, Calca, Peru
2016 Printmaking, Instituto Superior de Arte, Havana, Cuba
2015 Textile Printing & Dyeing, Central Saint Martins Short Courses, London, UK