Emma Blackwood

‘...the theatre inside ourselves and that in which we are spectators’ - Appia

Inevitably, when one looks at the naked body in all its vulnerability and strength, the complexities of one’s own ‘internal theatre’ are brought to the viewing - our own humanity, relationships and experience.

Emma Blackwood’s work seeks to explore this theatre and thereby play with the space between the viewer and the viewed. Interested in the intimate and personal, she paints intensely private portraits - clandestine moments that are captured and made public.

Motivated by the energy and humanity of the naked form, she conveys this in her vigorous mark-making on canvas using a palette knife and acrylics. She applies the paint in thick layers in a series of free strokes that loosely capture the body.

Emma often works with dramatic lighting and likes to create strong compositions and atmospheres that reflect the intensity of the naked body. She enjoys painting monumental poses that are physically powerful, and that demand a connection with the viewer.

Her canvases seek to spotlight the complexities of human existence: the moments of reflection, the insecurities, the intricacies, the passions, the doubts and the exhilarations of life.