Associate Member
Biography
Born in Sheffield, Jude is now an artist living and working in Manchester having settled here after receiving a BA Hons in Fine Art/ painting in from Manchester Metropolitan University in 2009.
She is currently based at AWOL studios, Ancoats and is also an active member of the artist collective 10STRONG.
Jude’s work has been commissioned by both commercial and private collectors throughout the UK, including commissions for television dramas and film.
She was named ‘Manc of The Month’ in November 2022 by Cotton On MCR and reached the semi-final of Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year in 2022.
Statement
Self-portraiture frames the basis of my work, I paint as a form of escape, releasing an idea, a dream or memory realised on canvas. Much like diary entries, the paintings serve as keep sakes, a space for reflection and rumination.
I paint almost exclusively in oil paints, with my ideas being formed autonomously. Often the result of dreams or flashes of thought, meaning is gathered retrospectively and offers a time to inspire my next steps.
Delicate brushstrokes applied tentatively, placed on a small, sometimes tiny scale to encourage the viewer to lean in a little closer, only to reveal sinister undertones and uncomfortable subject matter.
Themes of loneliness, isolation, anxiety and self-reflection are apparent, solitary ‘Jude’s’ exist in a world of my own making, each painting seeking understanding and ultimately validation.