Born in Belfast, Emma Tweedie is a contemporary artist who makes mixed-media abstract pieces that contribute to an emotionally engaged body of work, interwoven with natural themes. Grounded by the spiritual anchors of land, sea and sky, Emma Tweedie’s highly emotive landscapes explore a narrative based around the power of nature and its effects on human consciousness. Her paintings set out to unlock ancient wisdoms, the legacy of places and the unique energies that often resides in landscape, as well as metaphysical concepts including memory and spirituality. An established artist, Emma works between her native homeland of Northern Ireland and her London studio.
Having completed a foundation in art and design, she went on to complete a BA honours in fashion design and textiles, specialising in sustainable textiles, and this training has followed through to her work as an artist where she is known for working with water based, recycled, and responsibly sourced materials.
In 2019 she was shortlisted for two highly acclaimed International artist awards: The Sunny Art Prize, and the 100th Pebeo Mixed Media Award. In 2021 was selected to show at The Other Art Fair in conjunction with Saatchi Art. The Evening Standard recently cited Emma’s work in its ‘top ten pick for nature inspired art’, and most recently she was profiled in the AW22 edition of ‘Art Seen’ magazine, courtesy of London-based curator and award-winning art dealer Gita Joshi. Her work has been shown regularly in group and solo shows in Britain, Ireland and the US.
Emma’s contemporary and impressionistic ‘layer paintings’ are surprisingly textured and highly colourful yet are fluid and retain an incredible softness about them. Each painting carefully and quietly draws the viewer in, where they discover a myriad of intentional mark-making as well as spontaneous ‘happy accidents’.
Colour values are carefully considered, and the gentle application of colour creates an emotional impact, delicately balanced so that they feel harmonious and ‘magical’.
Demonstrating a powerful co-dependent relationship with nature, the artist’s practice explores her early attachment to this environment as a coping mechanism for dealing with trouble and conflict. From wild expansive spaces to places further afield, all share the same unspoken, quiet power. Nature is her safe-haven, its richness and beauty have always been a constant for the artist, is has formal importance in shaping her identity.
Highly sensory, buyers often comment how they ‘disappear’ mentally the artist’s paintings for periods of time, often emerging wondering where they just travelled to. Each painting is developed over a long period of time. Working both intuitively and intentionally building up surface texture, with marks and trying to ensure technical principles are adhered, combined with free and fluid approaches. Its this balance; the tensions between light and dark, horizontal and vertical, colour and places for quite colour that speak to the viewer. She strives to create a dialogue with the painting which feels rewarding.
