maisy lovatt Conwy, United Kingdom

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I am a recently graduated, 22 year old artist from North Wales. I grew up in the rural and mountainous area of Eryri National Park, which I find to be a very strong influence on my work. Viewed through a feminine perspective, my paintings delve into themes of intimacy and nostalgia, exploring how external and internal realities intersect to shape memories. They navigate the intricate relationship

This body of work has been produced from a feminine perspective, the paintings are concerned with themes of intimacy and nostalgia, exploring how external and internal realities intersect to shape memories. They navigate the intricate relationship between fleeting emotions and enduring connections, touching upon a variety of subjects such as, relationships, sexuality, landscape, family, and the self. The compositions are constructed from personal memory depicting fragmented moments. Many of the paintings aim to weave a dreamlike narrative washed with abstracted colours. The works have been influenced by a diverse range of artists, both historical and contemporary, including, Bo Franson, Antonia Showering, Matisse, Doron Langberg, Cecily Brown,and Salman Toor ,whose works reflect their own personal memories whilst recognizing the universality of memory within society. ‘At any given moment, my experience is a combination of my internal reality—who I am, where I’m from, my desires, et cetera—and my external reality—where I am, the people around me, current events, and so on. When I’m making a piece, I want it to capture both those realities at the same time.’ Langberg(2021) By utilising a combination of pattern and landscape, the artworks aim to draw viewers into a shared experience, attempting to evoke a sense of nostalgia and communal memory. Recurrent motifs such as mountainous skylines, valley floors, or the interiors of Welsh cottages anchor the work to an upbringing in North Wales, fostering a deeper connection with the local community. Rooted in the Welsh concept of 'hiraeth,' a profound longing for homeland, landscape, and culture, the artwork celebrates this passion and cultural identity. The pictorial spaces within the works are constructed using washes and loose underlayers, alongside sections of detail and perspective, creating a dynamic and ethereal atmosphere. Ultimately, these paintings stand as not only reflections of personal memory but also as catalysts for collective nostalgia and reflection on the human experience, the goal being to create images which offer a rich tapestry of emotions and experiences, ‘making emotion tangible’ on the canvas. Showering (Tobin, 2021)

‘I want my paintings to capture the mood of transitory moments where trauma, worries and hopeful possibilities can coexist in one moment or image. I see the canvas as a physical space where feelings of belonging or displacement, love or loneliness, intergenerational memory, superstitions and regrets can be turned into something visual and shared with the viewer.’ Showering (2021)