Mary West

Born in London in 1980, Mary West paints abstract landscapes that take on a life of their own. Curious cacophonies of flora and fauna blur the lines between colour and form.

Mary West’s Education and Early Career

Mary graduated from the Slade School of Fine Art in 2002. She often collaborates with another artist, creating large scale murals in private homes, corporate and hospitality spaces and as public art commissions. However, her first love has always been oil painting, enjoying the intimacy and immediacy of the studio and working on canvas.

Style and Practice

Veering between abstraction and figuration, the initial marks and drips of paint provide a framework from which the painting emerges – the medium becomes the subject matter. Mary works intuitively, often even using her hands to smear on the paint and encourage highly gestural marks. Memory, snippets of conversation, and shared experiences filter in as she paints, with the titles often evoking human interaction. A sense of aliveness bubbles up and over her boundless works.

Collections and Exhibitions

Her work is in private collections in the UK, USA, Denmark, Hong Kong and Australia. Recent exhibitions include A Room of Her Own at Irving Contemporary in Oxford and Works on Paper at Blue Shop Cottage in London.