Spotlight On: Olivia Wileman

Olivia is a Nottingham-based artist who describes her work as ‘brightly coloured abstract painting- with a focus on shape and form’. While studying at Nottingham Trent University she focused on traditional portraiture, reimagining them through a modern lens by introducing textiles and moving imagery. Since graduating in 2016, her style has become non-representational using shape and colour as the main focus for her pieces.

Artists such as Lee Krasner and Helen Frankenthaler inspire Olivia’s work, building on the figures in the abstract expressionist movement. Expressive elements of her work are incited through current artists such as Lindsey Mendick and Wilfrid Wood, who juxtapose Olivia’s practice but inform her in their other worldly use of imagination. This multimedia approach can be seen in Olivia's work as a designer and animator on top of her painting practice. Her animation involves animating ball shapes and circles, as well as story pieces which consequently feed into her painting work.

Olivia achieves vibrant paintings through the use of oil paints, as well as occasionally employing collage and texture on top of her pieces. These works remain subjective to the viewers interpretation, created through her interest in shape and colours and the desire to ‘create work that is instinctive and playful rather than laboriously painting intricate detail’. Using her animation skills allows Olivia to sketch out her pieces before hand on her iPad in order to get a feel for the composition. Once she is painting, this plan shifts and alters depending on the outcome and consequently allows her work to become more intuiative.

Currently working on larger scale paintings, Olivia is continously developing her practice and focusing on abstract forms to create beautiful, original artworks.

Follow Olivia on Instagram: oliviawileman

Words by Megan Davies