About
âScarlett captures the richness and might of the sea like no other. Her work is breath
taking.' Clare Francis, British Yachtswoman, Best-selling Novelist
Hay Hill Gallery is pleased to announce an exhibition of recent works by Scarlett
Raven. Scarlett conceives of her paintings as allied to sculpture and collage: an
emphasis on three-dimensionality provides an underlying sense of continuity among
works that are diverse and vibrant in style. Essential to achieving this unique
aesthetic is the gradual accumulation of oil paint in thick layers, which the artist
compares to skin. To lift these layers off would be to discover many stories, paths and
images which Scarlett has explored in the making of each work. âMy paintings have
a narrative, a beginning and end.' [Raven]
Paintings from this series have evolved alongside the artist for up to five years. As
such, they chart Scarlett's progression as a painter, conveying much of the artist's
experience both the action and movement inherent in the creation process,
together with her personal development yet her paintings hold something back,
enticing the viewer. For Scarlett Raven, painting is âa very physical, rough,
passionate process' and offers the artist a therapeutic means of expression.
In FLIGHT, the artist strives to regain âthat pure, uninhibited, unpretentious
expression all children naturally have.' [Raven] Her simplistic lines and bold, vivid
colours, often used in a complementary scheme, are immediately reminiscent
of such purity, suggesting a return to truer values. This approach is also reflected
in her choice of subject matter: Scarlett continues to examine the essence of
human emotions and nature, where honesty reigns.
About the artist
Scarlett Raven was born in London in 1986. She began painting at the age of
four and went on to study at the prestigious Central Saint Martins. At just twenty
one, in the second year of her BA in Fine Art, Scarlett became one of the
youngest artists ever to have a solo exhibition on Cork Street. From the outset,
her career as a professional artist has been marked by significant media
attention she has been hailed as âthe future' by David Lenigas. Collectors of
her work include Orlando Bloom, Lord Jonathan Marland and Take That.
Scarlett's passion for music has allowed her to reach a wider audience by
producing album artwork. Since designing the cover for the fundraising record
âThe Beautiful Game', released by musician Billy Franks for Prince Harry's
Senetable charity, Scarlett has become a firm supporter of the charity that
Harry established with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, which raises money for
vulnerable children in the Mountain Kingdom.
