Niki Duffy

Niki Duffy

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Degree: Animation
University: University of Salford
Graduation Year: 2009

New Blood Art Commentary

A question hangs in the air, provoked by ‘An Empty Stage’, a figure paused ‘Under Lamplight’, or a loaded gaze. The meticulous application of paint, in colourful high contrast, offsets the mystery of these scenes. Niki Duffy is manifestly inspired by cinema’s love of reflective surfaces. Just see the ardour with which ‘Silk’ is depicted - or how in ‘Open?’ and ‘Midnight Taxi’ the artist is creating his own pictorial language with which to express the effects of electric light. Like Edward Hopper, Duffy is interested in scenes that exemplify a distinctly modern experience. In these paintings, perspective is glimpsed: through a car window, across a train track, or in direct intimacy with the urban dwellers who abound in their solitude.

Artist Statement

I'm an oil painter based in Manchester. I studied animation at university and for a couple of years following I worked as a cinema projectionist. I believe my work and compositions have been influenced by my proximity to film. I focus on intimate and mundane scenes, with a view to sensitive expression in light. In my current work i'm trying to draw attention to the quiet and beautiful drama often overlooked in everyday moments. I usually work with friends as models to create my paintings.

Group Exhibitions

(2019) 4 Walls, Hope Mill, Manchester

(2019) Awol Studios annual Group Show, Awol Studios, Manchester

(2018) SKY ARTS Portrait Artist of the Year Participant, The Wallace Collection, London

(2018) Niches and Nuances, Gallery 54, London, Mayfair