Please can you give me an introduction about yourself

Hi, I’m Emilia. I’m an expressionist painter based in London. I work primarily in acrylic paint to produce vibrant city scenes with the aim to evoke feelings of nostalgia. I’m fascinated by the interaction between place and people, and the way in which art can encapsulate the beauty of time, location, and memory on an aesthetic and emotional level.

Tell me about your journey to becoming an artist. What inspired you?

I graduated in 2020 with a degree in Art History. This was right at the beginning of lockdown. I began painting London market scenes like Borough Market and Columbia Road. I missed the energy of these places, and sense of community. The attraction to these once busy, vibrant places made me want to paint them. These original scenes didn’t really include people because there weren’t any around at the time. My paintings were initially much more fragmented in style and broken into blocks of shape and colour. I focussed on the interaction between the London architecture and nature in the form of flowers or fruit and veg stands.

Since things have returned to normal, my paintings have become much more detailed. I think this is because there’s much more going on in each scene again, I get obsessed with capturing as much as I can now, this is because I’m more present because life is back to normal. Compared to during lockdown when I was trying to capture something that wasn’t there at the time and was based more on a memory.

Describe your creative process; from start to finish of a painting. Where do you find your inspiration?

I never choose a place to paint in advance. I do a lot of exploring and occasionally a scene will jump out at me. The ‘Fuckoffee’ coffee shop is my local coffee shop, I walk past it nearly every day, but on a certain day the scene just radiated something, and I got an urge to paint it as it was in that moment. This could be due to the people outside, or the inviting feeling of warmth I get from inside in contrast to the cold grey exterior. I don’t want my paintings to feel cold or calculated, the spontaneity of stumbling on a place at a particular moment helps prevent this.

My scenes are mainly of East and South London because these are the areas, I spend most time in. On occasion though there are some places that I’ve captured that I’ve never been inside and have just happened to walk past. The best example of this is the ‘Regency Café’ painting. I was just passing through the area and was immediately drawn to it based purely on the two mobility scooters parked outside. The place screamed character, the steady trickle of people heading inside got me wondering about the stories of all these different individuals, connected by one place. I’ve since been told so many stories of what it’s like on the inside. I think it’s probably the scene that I’ve had the most people tell me stories about, I also had no idea that it had been in films. It’s interesting to me that I’ve never been in and have only ever walked past it that one time, and I chose it. It pulled me in, just like the huge amounts of people that have shared their stories of it since with me.

Deciding what to paint is very spontaneous. Then, when I do, I take multiple photos of the scene. I don’t paint on scene because each painting takes me such a long time to do. I draw the scene out meticulously, so it’s perfectly to scale. Then, when it’s time to paint I choose a corner to work from and start painting as if I’m doing a puzzle. I hyperfocus on one area and give each section my undivided attention before I move onto the next bit. I think this helps me get enough detail into each part without becoming overwhelmed by the image as a whole. I also like the fact that by not focussing on the bigger picture straight away, the final piece becomes that little bit more removed from realism. As if you’re looking at the scene as a memory of visiting the place. Like my ‘Beigel Bake, 11pm’ scene has a haze to it, like looking back at it from a drunk memory.

I also can’t work on more than one painting at a time. I must give one painting my undivided attention until it’s finished.

What do you love about London cityscapes?

There are so many reasons!

I live in London and there’s so many places with character to see and find, from vibrant markets to London nightlife and independent coffee shops. Each place has a different vibe and energy from the next place. But even saying that, I could visit the same place daily and each time be able to capture a completely different mood, there will always be different people, different weather, different lighting, a different energy.

The city is in constant change, places come and go, yet so many people have a connection to certain spots. Whether it’s because they worked or lived around the corner, had a first date there, or have a secondary connection to a place through a family member. I enjoy hearing these nostalgic stories from viewers as much as I enjoy the painting process. There is a feeling of connection and community through shared memories of a place.

How would you describe your style? Why is colour so important to you?

I would say it’s a combination of styles, I draw it out so it’s architecturally correct, I’m very particular about this and I think this makes sure the overall piece maintains its sense of realism.

The way I paint is very expressionist though, I have always painted like this. I enhance colours because I find colour is the best way to express and connect emotions. I think this exaggeration of colour in my work plays into viewers connecting so positively to these scenes. The use of oversaturated colour helps evoke positive memories to do with that place, like looking back at a memory for a place and time through rose tinted glasses.

I always compare it to the feeling of seeing a beautiful sunset and attempting to capture it on your phone, and you just can’t manage to do it justice. This is because the camera on your phone firstly can’t capture the colour, but also as soon as you take that photo and look at the sunset through the screen, there is an immediate emotional disconnect, because you’re one step removed from being present in the moment.

I want my paintings to be able to capture the beauty of being present in a moment.

Detailed section of 'Fuckoffee in the Morning' Painting 2023

Tell me about a particular piece of work you are proud of and why

‘Beigel Bake, 11pm’ is my favourite work to date. Like I said above, I think I captured the vibe of place for that time. I was also pleased with the way I conveyed the light from the building out onto the street and figures.

Saying that my ‘Pie Mash’ painting has made people a few people cry when I’ve exhibited it. This is because it’s triggered strong feelings of childhood nostalgia. I was particularly proud of the composition in this piece. I selected a 30x60cm canvas and painted the edges in an emerald green which I think really brought this piece together.

How do you stay inspired and motivated in your work?

It can be isolating being an artist because most of the time I am alone, hunched over a canvas, immersing myself into that one scene.

But I do feel so lucky to be able paint the city, it gives me purpose to get outside and just explore what’s around me.

Long conversations with viewers and their connections to my paintings keeps me inspired and motivated. As long as my work continues to have a positive emotional effect on people I’ll keep going.

Who is your favourite artist and why? Do they have an influence on your work?

Francis Bacon is my all-time favourite artist. His work poses so many questions surrounding what it means to be human. I find his use of colour and composition fascinating and theatrical. I would hope he has an influence on my work, but I wouldn’t say it’s conscious when I paint. When I was at secondary school, Francis Bacon and Anselm Kiefer were the two artists that first made me say ‘I want to be an artist’, so in that sense they inspired me to pick up a paintbrush and pursue art. In terms of actual painting style, his work really got me to think about and understand the importance shape and colour, and the ways in which they alone can be used to manipulate emotions. His paintings are morbid and riddled with anxiety though, and in that way my work couldn’t be further from his.

What has been your greatest achievement so far as an artist?

To have developed the confidence to be able to talk in front of people about my work I would say is one of my biggest achievements so far.

I’m also a semi-finalist this year in the RBA ‘Rising Stars’ Exhibition at the Mall Galleries which is so exciting.

Where would you like to go with your career? Do you have any specific goals?

First, I’d love to find a studio space, I’m currently working from my living room flat. Studios in London are so expensive, a lot cost the same as it does to rent a flat. The occasional one that is affordable gets snapped up so quickly, so they’re already gone by the time I’ve found them. That’s my next step, and it would allow me to do some bigger pieces.

I’d also love to have a solo show.

Why do you think art is important in society?

Art is a way of framing a moment in time. Art incorporates so many important topics and asks so many questions. Art is history, sociology, philosophy. It is emotional. It asks questions, as much as it teaches us.

It brings people together. It gets people talking. To view a piece of art is not only to learn about the artist, but to learn about yourself. To talk about a piece of art with another person is to learn about them.

https://emiliachubb.art

ARTIST INTERVIEW: Emilia Chubb