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one of those days

about

I am an award-winning artist and architect, based in London.

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My interest in the fragility of people and place combine in my work, through a strong sense of emotional connection and space.

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I have a strong foundation in portraiture, holding a degree - passed with distinction - in Contemporary Portraiture, but my practice extends beyond it, to: sculpture, that is derived from the body; spaces, that have a sense of absence or becoming; and film, that collage sound with image.

 

My painting of an ICU nurse featured in The Guardian, and is also included in the book, Portraits for NHS Heroes, published by Bloomsbury.  My installation From Extinction, won a Royal Academy of British Artist Award in 2023.

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A pre-occupation with the fragility of life, explored through experience, is at the heart of my practice.

My work takes the human form as a starting point, whether present, as in my portrait and figurative pieces, or absent, such as in spaces where the figure is palpably out of the frame.  Whatever the subject matter and medium, I seek to encourage connections with the common conditions of existence that draw upon, but extend beyond, our own experience.  

I work across media, from paint and collage to wax and latex, often layering in search of depth, always engaged in the visceral qualities of the material I am using.  I sometimes extend my reach to sound and moving image in looking for an immersive, multi-sensory experience.

I am drawn to the seemingly obvious or familiar, to which I enjoy looking closer, below the surface, or from a different perspective, to reveal something less recognisable within the realm of the seemingly known. For example, I am currently exploring a sense of the animality in us (simultaneously revealing the humanity in non-humans). I am always looking  to discover the essence that hides behind surface appearance.

I look for a timeless and universal quality in this essence, as if the works were made lifetimes ago.


 

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If you are interested in my work and would like to discuss a commission, collaboration or exhibition, I'd love to hear from you!

 

contact me at: gillianhorn.art@gmail.com 

©2025 by Gillian Horn.

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