Portrait Art & Works on Paper
Portrait Art & Works on Paper
12th – 23rd May
The Annexe
Opening: Wednesday 12th May at 6pm
Participating artists:
Noryo
Chris Collier – Stationed Observer
Faye Rigkou
Bradley Rizza
Konstanca Koleva
Samantha Occhino
Lauren Haywood
NORYO @noryo_art
My art is about love, the inner turmoil of feelings expressed through movements, gestures and body parts. The main focus on each artwork is the posture and limbs that can give symbolical birth to the emotion that flutters underneath more than any other; but it is also in the absence of some parts that sentiment can rise to the surface. Moving through symbolism and ideal bodies and shapes, my art has always been and will always be inspired by classical and neoclassical statuary.
STATIONED OBSERVER @stationed_observer
Stationed Observer is the name I gave to what I believe to be an eternal mind. One we are part of individually and as a whole. A shared dream if you will. These works are mainly based on dreams, many of which were drawn in call centres on the back of anything I could get my hands on. Something you may notice in the transparency of the paper in ‘Cherry Blossom’ and ‘Unbeleafable’. Some may be turned off by this. To me it displays my natural reach for escapism while working in the most dismal of places. Beauty marred with grids and linear systems.
FAYE RIGKOU @fayerigkouart
The body of work is imbued with her Greek heritage and architectural influences. It is characterised by fluidity, tactility, precision and detail and there is a combination of clear and obscured geometries that are not necessarily based in reality but provide an extra dimension to the experience. Convolute lines and shapes emerge from one another, sometimes blurring the line of what is and isn’t and in combination with the impenetrable but imperturbable gaze of the subjects, an enigma overflows the disposition.
BRADLEY RIZZA @bradleyrizza
Bradley Rizza is a British contemporary artist based in London. His kaleidoscopic paintings explore humanities psychological intricacies, exploring and communicating their emotions from soul to skin. His portrait style works portray a myriad of emotions, from love and anger to despair and contemplation. Passionate about health and mental wellbeing, the works bare all, affording the onlooker an insight into a subject’s character.
Besotted by the beauty of nature from his Scottish and Italian roots, influences of one’s environment are evident in the works. Exploring society’s expectation on conformity, Bradley Rizza’s work has been known to question gender, race and focus on mental health.
KONSTANCA KOLEVA @konstancakoleva
Konstanca’s interests and ambitions are focused on Art teaching, Art therapy, Crafts and curatorial work. Her dream is to open a space which is an art school and a gallery and she believes she can run her own projects after gaining experience in her current jobs. Konstantca’s hobbies include travelling, photography and dancing and she believes challenging weaknesses and starting new activities improves her artistic sides.
SAMANTHA OCCHINO @samanthaocchino_art
Exploring her passion for traditional hand-drawing through fine liner pens and ink, Samantha creates nature inspired illustrations, applying complex marks and simple colours. Living in a city, drawing flora and fauna allows Samantha to feel more connected to nature.
Samantha’s aim is to explore and create a romanticized version of Flora & Fauna subjects that have a romantic essence with dreamy undertones, created by the subtle layering of different mark making. The hope is to give pieces their own unique essence and personality; inviting the viewer to take a closer look and discover unexpected details.
LAUREN-MARIE HAYWOOD @laurenmariehaywood
The shared physical features, histories and material reality experienced by black women are the core themes of Haywood’s fine art practice. Her body of work consists of thought-provoking paintings, sculptures, installations, and even performances, each of which offer powerful insight into the intersection between blackness and womanhood. Drawing upon her personal history and rich Caribbean heritage, she works to generate meaningful critiques regarding the unique issues of identity experienced by British West Indians.
Incorporating materials ranging from chocolate to marble dust into her work, she is able to create wondrous (and sometimes edible) experiences that uplift black women, while also capturing the struggles of constructing a contemporary, black female identity post-colonialism.
