LARA BOWEN
Still life and sunlight
My creative process isn't linear. I work in series, guided by emotions and sources of inspiration. These different bodies of work flow into one another, allowing each to shape and influence the others.
At the heart of my work is a deep fascination with the joy I find in colour, light, and form. My art delves into the rhythmic passage of time and how certain aesthetic elements evoke memories and emotions. Ultimately, my work seeks to explore how art makes us feel on a visceral level.
The daughter of a clock-maker and a dancer, my influences are part science, part free expression; exploring the 'why?' of what it is to be alive. I am intrigued by how our memories work, and how colour, shapes and light stimulate our experiences, sparking emotions and recollections.
Lately, I've been exploring both figurative and abstract compositions, experimenting with different materials. While painting is my main focus, revisiting photography and other media has sparked ideas and deepened my personal expression.
This shift in my work has led me to pursue a Master’s in Fine Art at Brighton University - an exciting chance for reflection, experimentation, and growth as I continue to evolve both conceptually and technically.
CURRENT COLLECTION
LARA'S STUDIO
My studio sits behind the gallery, in an old mews in Hove. The space is beautifully cool in the summer months but ice-cold in winter, so before spring arrives I paint the memories and experiences of the previous warmer months. It's as if I'm trying to magic summer sunshine with paint.
The subject matter varies, ranging from cut flowers and travel-inspired memories to subtle colour transitions, figurative works, and the way light filters through trees. These themes often cycle and overlap, creating a dynamic interplay within my practice, keeping things fresh and constantly evolving.
In my process, objects are abstracted and reduced to their essential forms, while colours are heightened to convey the narrative. Sometimes I remove entire sections of work to reveal the ghost of those marks, only to then work into them again until the painting pings to life.
Music is always playing in my studio, particularly female singer-songwriters, whose energy often shapes both the mood of my paintings and the titles they are given.
In summer I spend time in gardens and beside lakes, exploring rock pools and drinking in the reflections and refractions. This generates momentum for an evolving series of paintings which are about shards of sunlight and snippets of blue skies between the tangle of growth; the above and the underneath; reflected and shaded; the crystal clear and the murkier, more confusing things.
Attempting to capture memory and emotion using coloured substances applied to a surface is compulsive and the flirt with that elusive creative magic is addictive.
The lockdown years marked a significant reset in my work where the changes in routine led to new ideas and concepts taking shape. These new concepts found their way into my paintings. While the inspiration behind my work remains the same, a more abstract approach has emerged - bolder, looser, and more expressive - from being fully present in the moment, capturing joy as it unfolds.
I now experiment with different media and techniques. The music I listen to has changed too - it's louder, more upbeat, and fills the studio with energy. I dance, I play, and I explore. This has become an integral part of my process, infusing my work with a liveliness and spontaneity.