PHOEBE UNWIN (B. 1979)

'Here the oil paint is layered and impasto [...] The man’s body, the flowers, the gingham shirt and background are becoming interchangeable open forms. I liked the idea of painting a gift and that gift coming from, and almost out of, the person. I’m interested in those moments where objects feel they become part of us for some time, either because they are functional or because we have feelings about them. I believe I was thinking about the flowers almost growing from the man, and that there is a celebratory but also slightly pushy feeling about the flowers – I was interested in how this can be explored in paint.'
- Phoebe Unwin