N. KARELIA

E.E.T.

CHRIS GYLEE

ARTIST & WRITER
INSTAGRAM  / EMAIL  /  ARCHIVE


BIOGRAPHY & CREDITS




Chris Gylee (1983, Stockport UK) read Drama & Theatre at Royal Holloway University and completed his post-graduate training in Theatre Design at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in 2006. He has been based in Berlin since 2014, and rural Finland since 2023. He has exhibited his scenographic designs at the Society of British Theate Designers national exhibitions Transformation & Revelation (2011) and Make: Believe (2015), including the Prague Quadrennial (2015) as part of the UK entry, and at the V&A in London. Alongside his solo practice Chris also regularly makes performance, installation, film and publications together with Aslan and collaborators as ONCE WE WERE ISLANDS. In 2022, KARELIA — A Queer Forest Fantasy in Two Parts (made as ONCE WE WERE ISLANDS) was shortlisted for the Stückemarkt (Theatertreffen 2022). From 2017 to 2020 he co-ran the artist residency programme The Watch, together with Dominique Hurth and Jo Zahn in a former GDR watchtower in Treptow, Berlin. In 2020 The Watch was awarded the Berlin Senat prize for Project Spaces & Initiatives. Chris’s poems have been selected for publication by TUO TUO (Feral series), Under The Radar, Frozen Sea, Tidskriften Astra, and GARLAND and his micro-chapbook Ten for ‘A’ was published by Ghost City Press in 2024. In 2023 his work was long-listed for the Cuírt New Writing Prize.




20
24

With Forest in Our Mouths / Once We Were Islands 
Finding Animal / Research project, cont.
Like Déjà-Vu But The Other Way Around / Once We Were Islands (solo exhibition), Titanik
Thick Time / Once We Were Islands
Ten for ‘A’ / poetry micro-chapbook, published by Ghost City Press
Remembering Colours / Once We Were Islands
Helialá — A Gathering of Poem/ publication, Once We Were Islands
Palace of Ash & Rain / Once We Were Islands
Saari Residence / Once We Were Islands
A Cloud Full of Skies: Moon Letters / forthcoming publication with Kit Gee



20
23

The Crossing film adaptation / Once We Were Islands
Self Portrait as Heliotrope / #TakeHeart research project
Big Bangs & Black Holes / Once We Were Islands
Old Growth / poetry pamphlet (manuscript)
The Lure / poetry pamphlet (manuscript) 
Finding Animal / Research project
FERAL poems / published on Tuo Tuo Arts



20
22

12 Months — A Year / Once We Were Islands, for It’s About Time festival

FORTY / #TakeHeart research project; poetry collection
The Crossing / Once We Were Islands
Homecoming — Greatest Hits! / Once We Were Islands
Caretakers (AT) / voiceover script, film dir. Jo Zahn



20

21

QUEER TONGUES — A Documentary / Once We Were Islands
From A Chapbook (2021) / for Impermanence
Don’t Look At Me, Close Your Eyes / Once We Were Islands
KARELIA — A Queer Forest Fantasy in Two Parts / Once We Were Islands
12 Months — A Year / Once We Were Islands, for It’s About Time festival
Moon Letters - part II / with Kit Gee



20

20

Dogs of Love: A Guide to Manifesting Queer Histories in the Body / with Aslan, published by Circadian Tante Tod and the Fraudulent Delaying of Sadness / Once We Were Islands
caretaking 2020-1990 / The Watch, Berlin Art Week
We Come With Nothing / Once We Were Islands

QUEER TONGUES  / Once We Were Islands
Moon Letters - part I / with Kit Gee

20
19


not good alone / Hanna Hegenscheidt, Ulrich Huhn
Karma Accelerator / Once We Were Islands
Dogs of Love / Once We Were Islands
Transmissions / The Watch, Cashmere Radio
These Magnificent Bodies / Once We Were Islands

20
18

AIDS Follies (asst. dir.) / Johannes Müller, Philine Rinnert

Dedications / Once We Were Islands
Songs of Love and Rage / Claire Vivianne Sobottke, Silke Bake

Actions for the Worthless Body / Once We Were Islands


20
17

Pink Book (publication) / INTERNATIONAL NOTICE
Karma Accelerator / Once We Were Islands
We Need To Talk About Britain: A Vigil for Brexitland / Once We Were Islands, Rachael Clerke
Banner Making / Once We Were Islands
The Eternal Return / Clément Layes, Public in Private

The Watch (publication) / The Watch


20
16

Five Dancers II / Once We Were Islands
HAUS #99 [last days] or Score Cycle for a Building Facing Demolition / Once We Were Islands
MBody (conceptual design project) / Anna Nowicka, Ola Ososwicz
Watchtower residency / Once We Were Islands, Laura McAtackney 


20
15

Five Dancers I / Once We Were Islands
Make:Believe / SBTD, Prague Quadrenniel, V&A 
Play/Rough (conceptual design project) / Emily Lim
A,B,C,D,E,F. / Once We Were Islands


20
14

The Wardrobe / Emily Lim
The Kilburn Passion / Emily Lim
Death and the Ploughman / Tom Bailey
Minotaur / Toby Hulse
Bread and Butter / Jennifer Bell


20
13

The Rivals / Christopher Scott
Dracula / Amy Leech
Hot Air / Heather Williams
Cheese [a play] / Dan Barnard, Rachael Briscoe
Twin Towns and Sister Cities / with Toria Banks


20
12

Another Fine Mess / Emily Lim
I Could’ve Been Better / Idiot Child
Thin Ice / Jonathan Young
— Signage for refurbished Bristol Old Vic / Tom Morris, Emma Stenning 


20
11

Divine Words / John Wright, Toria Banks
— Fixer / Dan Barnard, Rachael Briscoe
 Little Baby Jesus / Ché Walker


20
10

Henry V / Emily Lim
— Colörs / Dan Barnard, Rachael Briscoe
— Tattoo / Jens Peters
Oliver Twist / Amy Leech
— Bonnie & Clyde / Tid


20
09

A Laughing Matter / Richard Cant
— Then, Voyager / Jon Rowe
— Out of Touch — A Trilogy / Tid
Shooting Rats / Dan Barnard, Rachael Briscoe


20
08

Hamlet / Jonathan Miller
— The Taming of the Shrew / Andrew Hilton
— The Red Man / Tid
Fanshen / Roland Smith


20
07

Othello / Andrew Hilton
— Much Ado About Nothing / Andrew Hilton
— Not Knowing Who We Are / Toria Banks


INSTAGRAM  / EMAIL  /  ARCHIVE