Personal Statement

I love Fine Art on a visual and conceptual level, for the hidden details, stories, and meanings behind it.

 

Every piece of art says something, and I love creating work that invites people to look deeper and interpret its meaning. This is what drives me to continue studying Fine Art. I've always been drawn to portraits. There's something about faces, whether I'm painting someone I know, creating a character from my imagination, or experimenting with my own self-portraits, that feels endlessly fascinating.

 

I enjoy playing with that balance between flattering and unflattering details, leaving room for people to come up with their own ideas about the personalities behind the faces. One artist which I admire is Constable, I like how his work is sublime and has a dreamlike quality to it, each work is quite romantic. Another artist that I admire is a young artist, Lucas Console Verma, I met him at Winchester's university open day. His work was so inspiring to me, I love that most, if not all of his paintings are so large in scale and how they have so much movement to them and energy. A portrait artist that inspires me is Christina Troufa, she uses space a lot in her work, her portraits have some sense of realism to them from the way that she paints the skin and adds different tones and colours, bringing them to life. Although, she uses line and colour to create space which also adds a sense of surrealism.

 

At college I studied Fine Art, Art History, and Graphic Design at A-level, and I am currently studying on the UAL Foundation Diploma in Art and Design. This combination has given me a mix of practical and theoretical knowledge. Art History, especially, has helped me understand how artists' experiences shaped their work and given me inspiration for my own practice.

 

Visiting galleries has been such an important part of my artistic journey, visiting places like the Royal Academy, the National Gallery, The Ashmolean, Tate Modern, Birmingham Museum, and Tate St Ives. A recent trip to London stood out to me, where I visited the National Gallery, the Royal Academy, and Tate Modern. Seeing pieces I'd only studied in books helped me form my own opinions, and understand what inspires me most. I was surprised at how much art can push boundaries, like a stuffed cat installation at the Royal Academy. It made me rethink what art can be and reminded me that it's not always about being traditionally beautiful or "normal." The artistic movements which inspires me the most is the post-impressionist movement, I love the way in which the post impressionists paint. They use defined brush strokes and focus on exaggerating different aspects such as colour, line, composition which I think adds more of an emotional feel into the works.

 

My brothers have played a big role in my artistic journey. When I was younger, I'd try to copy their stylised sketches, and one of my favourite memories is when one of my brothers taught me to draw a realistic eye. I remember practicing over and over, watching YouTube tutorials until I got it right. That experience really sparked my love for drawing faces, and it's a fascination that has stayed with me ever since.

 

Art has been a constant for me, it's my way of expressing myself and understanding the world around me. Visiting universities and seeing the work produced by other students has been incredibly motivating, it's made me excited to push myself further, technically and creatively, and see where I can take my art. I'm excited about joining a community of other artists, learning from tutors and peers, and challenging myself to keep improving.

 

I know that this next step will help me grow not just as an artist, but as someone who can share stories and ideas through my work.