Bow Arts interviews Lydia Merrett, Almacantar Studio Award winner, to talk about her experience in her awarded Bow Arts studio at Royal Albert Wharf.

Introduce yourself and tell us a little more about your practice?

Hello! My name is Lydia Merrett and I am an artist working in drawing, painting and printmaking. I graduated from the Slade School of Fine Art last summer (2023) and was awarded a studio with Bow Arts for a year as part of the Almacantar Studio Award. My work deals with the representation of women through figurative painting, printmaking, and drawing. 

What are you working on at the moment?

As I am set to move out of my Bow Arts awarded studio in July, I am mainly working on smaller works on paper at the moment. I maintain a printmaking practice alongside painting so I am making monotypes, drawings, and oil on paper paintings in the interim while I relocate my studio. I have also started writing about art, which is a new and enjoyable venture!  

Tell us about your recent exhibition and what you enjoyed most.

Earlier this year I had my first international solo show in Seoul, South Korea with LKIF (Lets Keep It Fresh) Gallery which was the most wonderful experience. I presented works predominantly made last winter in my Bow Arts studio and I relished the challenge and complexity of realising the exhibition. Travelling to Seoul, working with the gallery and experiencing the culture of the city is an experience I will cherish for ever.

What is the drive & motivation behind your work?

My work is rooted in exploring experiences of womanhood and the paintings are always made from my personal experiences and interests. During my MFA I decided to explore my interest outside of art which is women in sport and more specifically long distanced running. I am really fascinated by the mental resilience, stamina and determination that is required to be an endurance athlete and I started to draw similarities between the traits needed to take part in these sports and the traits needed to pursue a career as an artist. I find this parallel really exciting, and these ideas were the bases of the works I showed for my degree show last summer at the Slade School of Fine Art. Pursuing my passion for endurance sport and womanhood has enabled me to develop my visual language. 

What themes are you interested in?

I am passionate about representing women as strong, highly skilled and determined. Conceptually, I think about my paintings being in dialogue with works from western art history that often frames women as passive through the lens of the male gaze. Through research, painting, and writing I believe I am amongst other artists, writers and researches currently in the field of art exploring the re-representation of women, which I find to be a is a huge motivation. 

Who are your artistic influences & inspirations?

I am obsessed with painting, both contemporary and art historical, and I go to museums frequently to absorb as much as I can. I am fascinated to see how objects are crafted through paint, the layers used to build images, the individual artist’s touch and of course their context within history. I also read a lot: I am fascinated by biographies of women painters and female athletes as well as being obsessed with adventure writing, all of which inspire my practice.  

How was having an affordable studio impacted your practice and what is it you like about having your studio?

Being the recipient of the Almacantar Studio Award has enabled me to seamlessly continue developing my practice straight after graduating from the Slade without the trepidation and uncertainly of trying to find an affordable studio. The studio has enabled me to say ‘yes!’ to opportunities of exhibitions and projects which I would have struggled to participate in without the studio with Bow Arts.  

I am so grateful to the sponsors and prize givers of the Almacantar Studio award. Royal Albert Wharf studios has a lovely peaceful vibe: I have enjoyed looking out of my studio window to watch reflections dancing on the dock right outside. There is also a lovely path around the water’s contour, which proved to be an excellent lunchtime running route to freshen my thinking before an afternoon painting session. It has been a wonderful and highly productive place to think, paint and develop this year. 

What are the challenges you face as an artist, designer, and maker?

For me, an artistic life is a balancing act, which encompasses many practical, personal and emotional responsibilities and qualities. This can be challenging, but it also makes for freedom and (sometimes) spontaneity! 

Where can we find your work?

You can find about more about my work through my website, www.lydiamerrett.com or my Instagram @lydiamerrettpainting