Emily Irwin - MA Fine Art
I am a Northern Irish artist based in Manchester, working mainly in Oil. Within my current painting practice my work is a response to my surroundings and attempts to capture the feeling of looking for space and light while living in a city. Taking inspiration from the light moving around my studio, layering a mix of urban and exterior shadows in different glazes allows me to create a space trapped within the edges of the canvas. The layered light gives a sense of calm combatting the bustle of city life and is familiar, but vague enough to let the viewer respond on their own. My work is centered around our connection to place and the feeling of longing for home, taking inspiration from the space along the coast of Northern Ireland and connecting it to my life in Manchester, layering light from both. It also explores the juxtaposition between interior/ urban patterns of light and shadows, vs the exterior, more spiritual, light. My paintings attempt to create a liminal space within the borders of the canvas, trapping the viewer within them.
