The up-and-coming artist is known for bright colours, which he has said served him as a form of therapy.
“I would paint these big blocks of colour in my studio not knowing exactly what they would turn into,” he said to Cass Art in an interview. “There is something childlike and sensual in colour, for most of us it is the first language we learned to understand.”
In a recent project, Bevan-Bailey travelled to northern Kenya to live with the Samburu Maasai, an indigenous nomadic tribe, in order to make portraits of the people within this community. His paintings challenged misconceptions of African culture, and explored themes of nature, spiritual connection, and the legacy of slavery.
“I see my work as a fusion of street photography and portraiture. I enjoy the ambiguity of the implied narrative we attach to people we see in the street,” Bevan-Bailey said in the Hoxton.
In a recent project, Bevan-Bailey painted people sleeping on London’s public transport. He told Cass Art that he wanted to “catch moments that are fleeting, unconscious” through the portraits. Bevan-Bailey went on to explain his fascination with the environment of these people, and the moments in which they “took off their armour against the city.”
In his early years, Bevan-Bailey lived in Brixton's Tulse Hill estate, until he moved to the West coast of Scotland with his mother. However, his father stayed in London, so his childhood was fairly split between a quieter area and bustling city.
The artist is entirely self taught in each of the mediums he explores: illustration, photography, painting, and videography. His current studio is in Stoke Newington, a multicultural neighbourhood in Greater London from which he takes inspiration.
Many of Bevan-Bailey’s paintings begin with “abstract marks, allowing the form to find its own language.”
But even in his growing success, Bevan-Bailey can still get into an artistic rut. He told The Hoxton that when this occurs, he finds himself drawn to the West Coast of Scotland, where he takes in the elemental landscape. When he is in London, the artist said he sits on the top deck of the bus to combat feeling “stuck.”
“It’s a moving, liminal space that allows daydreams and new ideas to form for me.”
Discover Aaron Bevan Bailey’s artwork on our website and find out more about his remarkable artwork.
]]>Art has always been a part of Annie Kevans’ life. She was born in Cannes, France, to British parents who moved to the south of France, inspired by the beautiful landscapes of impressionist paintings. Although both her parents had briefly explored art in their youth, Kevans grew up discouraged from pursuing art as a career, for fear of lack of financial stability.
After studying modern languages, Kevans lived in Barcelona, teaching English. When she returned to London, she took an art class, where she was encouraged by a teacher to finally apply to art school.
“I remember the feeling of absolute joy when I finally began my Foundation course at Central Saint Martins,” Kevans told University of the Arts London in 2014. “I knew then there was no turning back.”
Today, Kevans is most known for her recognizable portraits, or as she calls them, “anti-portraits”. Rather than serving as accurate representations of a person, her portraits are concept driven, based on alternative histories and their relation to contemporary issues.
“Kevans’ paintings reflect her interests in power, manipulation and the role of the individual in inherited belief systems,” writes Ben Street on Kevans’ website.
One of Kevans’ most notable works is her 2013 series, ‘Boys,’ a group of portraits of various dictators as children. The series, part of the Saatchi gallery collection in London, is particularly striking given the innocent appearance of the boys. As Street describes, “colour is washed-out and delicate, the brush applied like the tender touch of a loved one.” Nevertheless, titles such as ‘Hitler, Germany’ or ‘Mao Zedong, China,’ make the series particularly jarring.
Kevans’ work continues to ask tough questions, exploring highly socially relevant themes such as power structures and gender inequality. Some of her other series include ‘Girls,’ an exploration of the commodification of girls in pop culture, and ‘Collaborators,’ which depicts different famous Nazi sympathisers, such as Louis Vuitton and Coco Chanel.
Kevans’ painting, Frida Kahlo, from her 2014 series, ‘The History of Art,’ is now available for purchase as a limited edition print from Bridgeman Editions in celebration of International Women’s Day.
According to the Fine Art Society, Kevans’ series “centres on women in art history who were once part of the art world and whose history and significance have been gradually eroded so they are ultimately forgotten to a modern audience.” Along with the great Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, Kevans has painted lesser known figures such as Gabrielle Capet, Edmonia Lewis, and Dorothea Tanning.
“There were brilliant female artists who were international celebrities with fantastic careers and exciting lives,” Kevans said of the series in an interview with University of the Arts, London. “Where are the books and films about these women? Why are they separate from art history and relegated to a genre of their own?”
Find out more about Frida Kahlo by Annie Kevans by visiting our artist's page.
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]]>Bridgeman Editions is a new exclusive platform for limited edition prints by leading contemporary artists. From contemporary abstract art to figurative works, discover high quality prints from critically acclaimed artists such as Osinachi, Ralph Steadman and Susie Hamilton.
We are super excited to announce an exclusive collaboration with the Lucian Freud Archive to create a curated selection of open edition prints, produced and authorised by the LFA. These exceptional archival digital prints will allow access to some of Lucian Freud's most famous works. Discover more of Lucian Freud's artwork here.
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