Natalie Chapman

Natalie Chapman

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Degree: BA Fine Art
University: Carmarthen School of Art
Graduation Year: 2017

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Natalie Chapman’s spirited figurative paintings subtly reveal the nuances of social relationships through dramatic colour and space. Much like the short-lived, but eminent artists of Synthetism in the 1880’s, Chapman creates atmosphere by using energetic hues and tensioned use of space. Indeed, flat, lurid colour is often used to pull figures apart from each other, and likewise, skewed perspective creates unstable confrontational spaces. The portrayal of interpersonal dynamics is convincing and at times, tense. The use of dark outlines, for example, gives the figures an exactness and transforms their relationship to the space they occupy. The imagery is at once captivating but unnerving through the embroilment of tenderness and tension, rising from the picture plane in a flurry of hot pinks and stark blues.

Artist Statement

My history, my past and my present: I paint portraits that engage with identity and issues based around dysfunctional relationships and social documentary. I focus on spontaneous snapshot-compositions, saturated colour spaces, and incidental objects in order to set a scene of everyday life. I want my work to feel edgy and to seduce the viewer into contemplating ambiguous tension, a sense of emptiness, boredom and anxiety. These works are on large canvases to create presence and intensify personal stories using gritty expression and garish colour. I want to create images about human relationships that are both dysfunctional and tender.

Solo Exhibitions

(2021) All the things I could have been, MOMA, Wales

(2020) Heads, canfas, cardigan

(2019) Love you mum, The volcano, Swansea

(2019) Love you mum, The Coach House, St Dogmaels

(2019) Love you mum, Canfas, Cardigan

Group Exhibitions

(2022) Summer show, MOMA wales, Machynlleth

(2022) AAF Hampstead, Affordable art fair, London

(2022) Fresh, Fresh art fair, Ascot

(2022) Edinburgh EAF, Edinburgh Art fair, Edinburgh

(2022) Belief, behaviour and belonging, Gallery Gwyn, Wales

(2019) LAG, Tabernacle, Aberaeron

(2019) Summer open, Oriel cric, Crickhowell

(2018) Summer open, Oriel crick, Crickhowell

(2018) A Welsh story, The Coach House, St Dogmaels

(2017) moment in time, norwegian church, cardiff

(2017) summer open, MOMA, Machynlleth

(2015) moment in time, botanical gardens, wales

Competitions, Prizes & Awards

(2018) Oriel crick

(2019) MOMA summer show

(2017) Listed in the Guardian list of artists to look out for

(2021) Long listed for the Ruth Borchard Self portrait award

(2022) Work bought as part of the National Library of Wales collection

(2022) Shortlisted for Australian Out of the mist short film award

Original works: