Contemporary British artist, Michaela Yearwood-Dan, revives the art of the painting. Working predominately with paint, but also employing collage art techniques, her work often borrows and adapts traits from western, Japanese, and Chinese historical painting and craft. A contemporary artist working in a historically renowned art form, Yearwood-Dan regards the traditional methods and techniques of painting, whilst adding her own contemporary twist to it.
Born in South London in 1994, Yearwood-Dan has a BA in Fine Art Painting from the University of Brighton. Though her techniques developed over time, her subjects and themes tend to center around social issues like class, culture, race, and gender – themes that are also tied to her identity as a young British artist.
“I think that over time my artwork has become a bit more confident and refined via the imagery I use,” she admitted in an interview with Dateagle Art. “Regardless as to whether I’m creating abstract or figurative work, I think I approach each piece with a sense of confidence that steams from the knowing that I’m still learning and growing and if something doesn’t work out that it’s all part of the process towards me making something I’m truly happy with.”
“I think I do sometimes think of that work when I’m feeling moments of self-doubt,” she added, “conscious that interchanging between figurative and abstract may make it hard for people to establish my work as my own, however, I realize that the way I use paint there is a clear signifier that they share the same artist.”
Below you’ll find some highlights from her portfolio:
