Rhianna Pierson is a British figurative painter who aims to capture ephemeral moments and fragmented memories, creating a dreamlike place suspended in time, contrasting with memory’s fleeting nature. Exploring the strong emotions and relationships between the subjects, artist, and viewer, Rhianna's figuration typically features unidentified couples that are both romantic or familial. Through intentional stylistic choices such as displaying hints of canvas and early layers of paint seeping through the painted image, she aims to depict the fragility of memory and life. Rhianna renders glimpses of fleeting memories layered together as shifting scenes by contrasting vivid colour and clarity representing significance, with vague blocks of colour or canvas representing the forgotten and fogginess of memory. Through this process, Rhianna creates a space where memories are gathered, held and released within the confines of the canvas.
1) Which art movement do you consider most influential on your practice?
Figuration in the 21st century and Modernism.
2) Where do you go and when to make your best art?
I like to work when the natural daylight is strongest and anywhere I have space! Many of my paintings were made as part of my degree in my shared studio space in Nottingham, which I loved. I’ve been working in a makeshift studio space in my family home since, which has been brilliant in helping me connect to the family moments and atmospheres that I paint.
3) How do you describe your 'creative process'?
I always start by looking for reference photos. I have collections of photos and sketches that inspire me because their composition looks interesting or because the moment looks so candid like a memory. When I’ve chosen a reference, I make sketches in pencil, pastel, watercolours and gouache, testing colour palettes and compositions and practicing the placing of the figures to see if it translates well to the canvas proportions. I then find artworks by other artists that use a palette or technique that inspires me. I pick a base colour or two and cover the entire canvas in a light wash of the colours. I then sketch out the image in paint or I preface this by doing hazy blocks of colours in the background. I continue building up the painting with layers of thin or thick colours, allowing myself to feel the emotions of the figures and complexities of the memory.
4) Which artist, living or deceased, is the greatest inspiration to you?
It is hard to pick just one! I take inspiration from a range of artists every time I paint. I am inspired by Alice Neel’s confidence in her figurative practice in a world of Abstract Expressionism, and the glaringly honest reflection of the people she painted. Contemporary artists I am constantly looking to for inspiration include Antonia Showering, Joana Galego, Anthony Cudahy and Nicole Eisenman for their rich depictions of the human experience.
5) If you weren't an artist, what would you do?
I’ve done childcare and teaching roles in the past and would happily go into a career in this if painting wasn’t my passion. I love working with children and getting a glimpse of their view of the world. This translates into my art practice, which is largely focused on childhood nostalgia.
6) What do you listen to for inspiration?
I often listen to music, but I tend to need more to focus on the longer I work. Audiobooks work very well for when I’m deeply into a piece, and I love The Great Women Artists podcast by Katy Hessel, for inspiration and art talk.
7) If you could own one artwork, and money was no object, which piece would you acquire?
I would adore a piece by Peter Doig. His work is so beautiful, I could stare at a painting of his for eternity, constantly finding more details or texture.
8) If your dream museum or collection owner came calling, which would it be?
I couldn’t decide on the dream gallery but a small one that I’ve always loved is Soho Revue Gallery. The work exhibited there always inspires me so much and I think one day my work could fit in there nicely. I love Timothy Taylor and Grimm too.
9) What is your key piece of advice for artists embarking on a fine art or creative degree today?
Make use of the studio and your fellow artists and tutors. Don’t take that beautiful, shared space to make art for granted! My best decisions and artworks have come from conversations, questions and excited ramblings about a new idea in the studio.
10) What is your favourite book of all time (fiction or non fiction)?
I’ve read so many books since but one that jumps to mind is Delirium. I first read it when I was 13 and it stuck with me as I found the concept of love being seen as a dangerous disease so fascinating. It makes me think about how much love seeps into our everyday life and how it affects who we are as people.
11) If you could hang or place your artwork in one non-traditional art setting, where would that be?
A hospital, potentially a children’s ward or mother and baby unit depending on the painting. I would hope that the tender, familiar atmosphere of the paintings would comfort patients and their loved ones.
12) What was the biggest lesson your university course or time studying taught you?
Trust the process. Every time I start a new painting I have the same panic halfway through when it’s not going how I expected it, but it always works out, sometimes completely differently to how it's intended. My practice has slowly shaped and changed over the years without anyone forcing anything. At university, I was often overwhelmed but if you just keep pushing yourself and trusting that things will work out for the best, everything falls into place in time.
13) And finally, if we were to fast forward 10 years, where would we find you?
Still painting! Hopefully I will have paintings up in galleries and exhibition spaces, and practicing art full time and supporting myself through my paintings would be wonderful.
Learn more about Rhianna and discover her collection of paintings.
