Dr. Ram Shergill is an interdisciplinary researcher specialising in Photography, Moving Image, Architectural Design, Luxury, Fashion Brand Management, the Bioeconomy and Creative Direction. Ram completed his PhD at The Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London in 2024. His doctoral thesis, ‘Visions of a Critical Posthuman Practice: Embodying Exoskeletal Living Systems (ELS)' was supervised by Professor Marcos Cruz (The Bartlett School of Architecture) and Dr. Brenda Parker (Department of Biochemical Engineering). The thesis was examined by Professor Nat Chard (The Bartlett School of Architecture) and Associate Professor Jon Yoder (Kent State University, USA). The examiners commended Ram on his impressive body of original design research, highlighting that the construction of a ‘Critical Posthuman Practice (CPP)’ with textual and visual research of ‘sympoietic diffraction’ raises a host of timely questions across the disciplines of microbiology, mechanics, art, (science) fiction, architecture, fashion and photography.
Internationally recognised for his contribution to the fashion industry, Ram has advanced his practice through architectural design, science, and wearable technology. Ram is the Editor in Chief of The Protagonist Magazine where he leads a team of international Journalists and industry professionals. Throughout his PhD at University College London, he specialised in bioastronautics, bioregenerative design and focussed on new architectural advancements in the space sector. Ram is a Senior Lecturer at the University for the Creative Arts where he is the deputy lead in Luxury Business Management. He is an external examiner at KU Leuven in Belgium and has validated MA Creative Enterprise at UEL, and Fashion Image & Styling at UCA.
He has been a speaker at various conferences internationally including The University of Oxford and The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), where he has conducted talks on the circular economy, the space sector, creative business and management practices, leadership and the ecological environment. In 2016, he was awarded the Arts Culture and Theatre Award (ACTA) for his contribution to the industry. His work has been shown in exhibitions internationally including Sotheby’s, The V & A, The Wallace Collection, The Museum of Fine Arts Houston (MFAH), Somerset House, and the Museum of Contemporary Arts (MOCA). Ram Shergill’s portraits of Amy Winehouse are housed in the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery.
Research/ Industry Expertise
Photobioreactor Design, Creative Business and Management practices, Circular Economy, Sustainable Fashion, The Bioeconomy, Bioregenerative Design, Wearable Technology, Bioastronautics, Posthuman Studies, Creative and Critical Thinking.
Skills
Creative collaboration, problem solving, project management, visual communication, team management
HE Sector
April 2022 – present, University for the Creative Arts, Senior Lecturer in Fashion & Luxury Business & Management
Unit Leader, Retail Experience Design, Luxury Brand & Development
June 2021 – University of the Arts London, MA Fashion Photography, Associate Lecturer October 2019
April 2020, London South Bank University, BA Fashion Communication, Lecturer January 2018
Dec 2019, Arts University Bournemouth, BA, MA Fashion Photography
Unit Leader Professional Futures
September 2017 – Jan 2018, Falmouth University, Associate Lecturer BA Fashion Photography
June 2015 – present, The Protagonist Magazine, Editor in Chief and Founder
2012 to Present, Creative Direction and Photography for Film Campaigns
Previous Experience
September 2008 – 2015, Drama Magazine, Editor in Chief and founder
Academic Research Publications
2023
2022
Sumini, V., & Shergill, R. (2022). Beyond the Cradle. Presented at MIT: Beyond the Cradle.
Shergill, R., Cruz, M., & Parker, D. B. (2022). Microbial to Tectonic: Explorations of scale in Bio-Integrated Design. Antennae
The Journal of Arts and Visual Culture 11, no.2 (2022).
2021
Parry, N. (2021). Amy Winehouse Beyond Black.
Shergill, R. (n.d.). Bedford Square London in Lockdown by Ram Shergill [Exhibition]. 14-Mar-21 - 23-Mar-21.
Shergill, R. (2021). The Critical Posthuman Carapace. Presented at: Bartlett Research Converations,
Shergill, R. (2021). The Critical Posthuman Tree. Presented at: Uprooting The Anthropocene, The University of Oxford
2020
Shergill, R. (2020). The Tomorrow People: The critical posthuman through bio-integrated design. Presented at: AUB Human.
2019
Shergill, R. (n.d.). The Wallace Collection Fashion and Power [Exhibition]. 19-Jul-19.
2018
Shergill, R., & Huse, D. P. (2018). Amy by Ram. DPH Productions.
Shergill, R. (2018). In Conversation: The Unseen Amy Winehouse, at The National Portrait Gallery
Shergill, R. The National Portrait Gallery Contemporary Collection [Exhibition]. 26-Nov-18 - 26-Feb-19. (5 portraits in the permanent collection)
2017
Huse, D. P., & Shergill, R. (2017). The Protagonist Magazine Issue 3.
2015
Treacy, P., & Hume, M. (2015). Philip Treacy Hat Designer. Rizzoli Publications. 2014
Shergill, R. (n.d.). Kaleidoscope [Exhibition and Book]. 14-Jan-14 - 14-Feb-14. 2012
Shergill, R. (n.d.). India Fantastique [Exhibition]. 08-Sep-12.
India Fantastique Fashion. (2012). Book with Thames and Hudson 1st and 2nd Edition
2008
Shergill, R. (2008). Drama Magazine. Drama Publishing.
Bolton, A. (2003). Men in Skirts. Victoria & Albert Museum.
Exhibitions
2024, The White Box Gallery, Multispecies Phenomena
2023, MOCA, The Museum of Contemporary Art, London
2022, MOCA, The Museum of Contemporary Art, London
2021, Venice Italian Virtual Pavilion, City X, La Biennale Architectura, Venice,
2021, The Bloomsbury Festival, London,
2020, The Wallace Collection, Fashion and Power, London
2019, The Museum of Fine Arts Houston, Houston, Texas
2019, National Portrait Gallery, London
2018, The Old Bank Vault, London
2018, OXO Tower Gallery, London
2018, London Craft Week
2018, Leica Gallery, Los Angeles
2017, Contini Art UK, London
2015, Photo London, Somerset House, London 2015, Jodhpur Palace, Rajasthan
2015, National Institute of Design and Technology, Kolkataa, India 2015, Tasveer Gallery, Mumbai, India
2015, Leica Gallery, London
2014, Saffron Art, Mumbai, India
2014 Saffron Art, Delhi, India
2013, Sotheby’s, London
2001, Station Kuhnstal Gallery, Frankfurt, Germany 1999, Whitechapel Gallery, London
Academic
Academic/ Research Consultancy/ External Roles
2023 – 2024 External examiner, MA Architecture Jury President KU Leuven, Belgium
2023, Course Validation MA Creative Enterprise UEL
2021, Course Validation, BA (Hons) Fashion Image & Styling University for the Creative Arts,
Academic/ Research/ Awards/ Honorary Roles
2016, ACTA Award Arts Culture and Theatre Award, received for unique contribution to photography and the arts
Academic/ Research Membership/ Accreditation
2021, SONET The Sustainable Off-World Network, (member)
2019, BIOLADIES Network
2021, Algae UK (member)
2020, The British Phycological Society (member)
2020, Association of Photographers (member)
2019, Ph.D. representative UCL Architectural Design
Industry Publications
July 1985 — Over 400 publications
Mainstream Media, Creative Directed and project led campaigns for Vogue, GQ, Harper’s Bazaar, Wallpaper, El - Mundo, The Times, The Observer, How to Spend It, Dazed, ID, Galeries Lafayette, Gilan Diamonds, AJSK, Belmacz, Harvey Nichols, Selfridges
(Full list available on request).