Harriet Williams
University: Carmarthen School of Art
Graduation Year: 2023
New Blood Art Commentary
Deeply inspired by nature and the coast, Harriet Williams' art is borne out of a meditative atmosphere engendered by wind, waves and open spaces, where the self is free to drift and connect to something bigger. Her large, abstract expressionist canvases in acrylics and mixed media are enveloped in fluid layers of colour and motion, with a palette that emulates green dappled sunlight and the tones of sea and earth in her native Wales. These works lift the viewer into a kaleidoscopic landscape where colours bend, curve and bleed into each other in hypnotic and unexpected ways, at once light as sea spray and dense as a cliff face.
Graduating from Carmarthen School of Art in 2023, Harriet is a New Blood Art Emerging Art Prize nominee. The titles of Harriet's work ('Capturing What Can Be Lost' and Crumbling Coast') hint at the artist's intense concern with our increasingly vulnerable landscapes, and her belief in the potential of art to 'be the bridge between the cold hard facts of climate change, and the emotions we need to feel to actually take action (...) Pay attention. To care.' Harriet has exhibited across Wales, and her canvases are informed by an intense engagement with the process of artistic creation and the world of landscapes, feelings, and memories around her, combining to create chronicles of an deep sensory and material engagement with her practice.
Rhodri Rees, Lecturer in Art and Design at Carmarthen School of Art:
'I have had the privilege of being Harriet’s lecturer throughout her time at the university, and I am pleased to have observed her exceptional growth throughout this period. In her process, Harriet has consistently demonstrated remarkable dedication and passion for her artistic pursuits, combining her research with her passion for the environment. Her commitment to her craft is evident in the high quality of work she produces. These qualities helped her formulate a system of pouring paint that is emotive and visually impactful. The introduction of a performative aspect to her painting made Harriet’s work truly stand out in our final year exhibition and worthy of high praise.'
Artist Statement
I have always been enthralled by the experience of allowing art to have an imagination of its own. The feeling of my hands engaging with the materials and variations of mediums, the moments before creating and after with the mark making itself. I love seeing the natural world shift and move around. My work is an accumulation of feelings, memories, and landscapes. My work is primarily driven by the way I experience the world visually, sensually, orally and physically through the mental notes and practical day to day applications. I’m passionate about the integral impact artwork can have within a space and truly believes art to be a fulfilling experience.
Original works:
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