Megan Ward
I studied Mixed Media Fine Art at Westminster University for three years. While there I really pursued and followed the theme of wanting to create pieces that could be recognisable and appealed to the masses. I believe art can be something that can bring people together and portraits for me can do that in a way like no other, you don’t need an extensive art education to see something recognisable in them, maybe create a connection if not something to talk about.
Having come from a place where art isn’t the most accessible thing and a family background where art wasn’t thought about, portraits and figures were the gateway for me, they were something I could recognise easily when I was young and could recreate by drawing people, I saw around me every day be that family members or famous people on magazines covers. I work constantly on pushing the boundaries of traditional portraiture by distorting the face while keeping it identifiable. I am inspired by artists like Jenny Saville and Francis Bacon. The emotions depicted in portraits also interest me.
I have done private commissions and my work has sold independently to collectors. I enjoy taking these images a step out of reality and experimenting with textures, brushstrokes and different methods of applying medium. Recently I’ve been focusing on how colour can change and how a portrait is received looking into the psychology of colour, and whether I can use that to provoke a reaction, catch the eye of someone who has an interest in art or someone who has no knowledge of art but identifies with an aspect of my work that be a face or drawn to the colour therefore hopefully finding pleasure in that.
