In June 2022 Emily Thornton moved into a new studio and started a new collection of work.
This quiet space, full of light in the garden of her home in Zambia has brought with it a greater sense of fulfilment than ever. The simple joy in her own creative space dedicated to a new body of work.
Connection is a collection born out of this space. Inspired by Emily's reaction to 'life in Zambia, my connection to the landscape and my home.'
Emily moved to Zambia in 2018 following a fine art foundation at Byam Shaw, Central St. Martins and a degree in Fine Art at Newcastle University. She now lives and works outside Lusaka.
Building on the themes of temperature, the changes in the seasons and the impact of the sun on the earth, Emily's work explores her ongoing emotional response to the landscape. 'Experiences are a series of fleeting moments, a shimmer of heat, the sun hitting your face in the morning, the threads of thoughts born out of simple colours and forms. These ideas and thoughts translate into the studio.'
Over time, revisiting familiar places has in turn added layers of experience and emotion, bringing greater depth and a wider sense of perspective to her life and work. 'From the simple elements of flora, there is the sheer vastness of the landscape that reaches beyond the cyclical nature of the seasons.'
'Living in Zambia' Emily explains, 'has allowed me to explore a greater sense of self. It has given me the space to connect with myself. I am consciously more grounded.' Amongst 'the landscape, the life, the people, it buzzes with energy.'
This tangible enjoyment in the world has brought about an evolution in her work. With a growing confidence and sense of self, there has been an outpouring of joy in her painting. 'Letting go of the idea of perfection,' Emily explains, 'the work is bold. Pushing form to the limit of where I feel comfortable, it feels experimental, playful, fully joyful.'
Working on several paintings in one day, the collection evolves as a whole. 'From the expression of a pure idea, the simple desire and need to express an idea in form, they develop and inform one another.' Building up the canvas with layers of paint, the underpainting is clearly visible in such intensity and depth of colour. This process is as important as the painting itself. 'These shadows create the synergy. They complete the journey.'
Created at a time of real freedom and a clear sense of self, this latest collection celebrates an understanding and expression of how Emily's own experiences, emotions and the landscape are all entirely connected.
