An abstract painter with Down Syndrome, who shares her perception of the world via dramatic, brightly coloured canvases, is embracing the goal of a women’s art group to create a diverse and inclusive community for female artists.
And she hopes her submissions to the group’s annual Women in Art Prize will enable her, along with other female artists from varied backgrounds, to showcase their work to a wider audience and a broader range of galleries.
The bold energetic paintings created by Fiona Stevenson, whose work has been exhibited in London, New York, Manchester and Cambridge, occupy a similar territory to that of Sir Howard Hodgkin.
Her work has been praised by the likes of master printer Kip Gresham, who, as well as spending time working with Fiona a couple of years ago, has collaborated with Terry Frost and Elizabeth Frink. In fact, he was so impressed with her pieces he arranged a solo exhibition of her paintings at the Cambridge Arts Festival.
Visual artist and associate lecturer at Central St Martins, Susan Aldworth, describes Fiona as ‘a maker of beautiful marks.’
Fiona’s mentor and art teacher Julia Skrebels explained: “Fiona spends every day working on her paintings. She is inspired by a thought or an image and conveys the emotional impact this has on her via the brush and her use of colour and texture. She talks about what she is doing and why throughout the process, with the marks she makes inspired by how she sees it and feels about it.
“Winning one of the Women in Art Prize awards would enable her to increase her exposure to some of the leading galleries in London and beyond, not only enabling her to advance her career but also allowing collectors the opportunity to experience the work of a truly inspirational artist.”
The Women in Art Prize, whose 22 finalists will be named at an awards ceremony at The Roundhouse in Camden before having their work exhibited in London, is part of the Women in Art project which aims to support, mentor and promote women artists.
Women in Art organisers say: “Women in art have long been overlooked and under-appreciated, making it all the more important to recognize and celebrate their unique contributions to the world of art. Not only does it benefit the artists themselves, it also allows museums and curators to stay relevant and up-to-date in an ever-evolving art world.
“This offers a genuine opportunity for emerging women artists to further their careers and for art collectors to invest in the future of the art world’s emerging talent.”
Judges include Belgravia Gallery founder Anna Hunter, Hampstead School of Art principal Isabel Langtry and artist Kate Garner.
Women’s under-representation in the art world is also shouted from the rooftops by anonymous New York collective the Guerrilla Girls, whose Do Women Have to be Naked to get into Boston Museums exhibition of confrontational and impactful posters is on display at the Tate Modern.
The exhibition is part of a wider Tate Modern policy, under the directorship of its female director Karin Hindsbo, to bring an increasing number of diverse voices into the gallery.
View Fiona Stevenson’s virtual galleries here: https://www.fionastevenson.co.uk
For more information and photography please contact Fiona Stevenson’s press officer, Helen Lambell, at Splash PR on 07969 253147.