Interconnectedness: My Royal Academy Submission

I have entered two artworks into this year’s Royal Academy Summer Exhibition open call, and it feels strangely vulnerable to write about it- I won’t even find out if I’ve made it past the first round of selections until March, and usually I only write about things that are a ‘done deal’.

There is something oddly embarrassing about being seen to want something online. However, I have received nothing but love and encouragement from people online, and I am starting to believe that trying is not cringe at all. Working hard, putting yourself forward, chasing what you want. That is cool. So this is me, getting over the fear and talking about it anyway.

This is not my first time entering the RA open call. I applied once before and was rejected, which seems to be something of a rite of passage for UK artists! I wanted to enter last year too, but the spaces filled up before I got there. I know my work is bold and a little out there, and I know the exhibition often features quieter, simpler pieces. Still, I am hopeful. All it takes is one curator for the work to resonate with, so I will keep showing up and putting myself out there.

Interconnectedness

The theme this year is Interconnectedness, coordinated by Ryan Gander OBE RA. He says the show '“will aim to explore ideas of entanglement, as well as the unexpected and fortuitous connections and associations between disparate things… Proof that, as humans, our outputs hold more commonality than separation, without us intentionally seeking it.” (you can read his full statement here)

That idea felt instantly familiar to me. My work lives in those overlaps and collisions.

I create vibrant mixed media paintings centred on human and wildlife interaction, particularly the tension and push-and-pull between the natural world and the world we create for ourselves. My paintings are busy and energetic, echoing the chaos and constant motion of both urban and natural ecosystems. I often embed found or repurposed materials into the surface of the work, things like aluminium ring pulls or fragments of packaging as reminders of human impact.

Sardine Sentinel

The first piece I entered is ‘Sardine Sentinel’, a mixed media piece that leans into humour while carrying a sharper edge beneath the surface.

Perched proudly atop a small tower of sardine tins, a puffin surveys its kingdom with comic defiance. There is something endearing and stubborn about the pose, a tiny ruler standing their ground. While the piece is playful, it also has a sardonic twist, pointing to the ways human habits are boxing in marine life, quite literally.

Suggestions of swirling coastal winds move through the painting, adding energy and a sense of restless motion. The materials themselves do part of the talking. The tins, the textures, the layered surfaces all echo the uneasy relationship between wildlife and consumption. It is bright, bold, and a little cheeky, but it is also asking a question about space, ownership, and who is adapting to whom.

Fortune Flames

‘Fortune Flames’ forms part of a new series I’m developing titled ‘21st Century Woman’. Through portraiture, I am exploring my own reflections on what it means to be a woman now, creating work that is deeply personal while still connecting to wider contemporary themes.

This self portrait was about embodying creativity and the freedom I feel when I paint. Creating it was pure joy. Playing, experimenting, layering, reflecting, learning. I wanted this painting to be everything I love, all in one canvas: semi-transparent layers, magpies, board games, abstract elements crashing into more refined elements. And the colour red! So much red.

I have always been fascinated by paintings where colour seems to hum with life, almost glowing. Like standing in the Rothko room, I wanted unapologetic colour to be the star of the show. I experimented with layering reds, oranges, and pinks across different media. Acrylic first, then inks, then spray paint, then oils. The result is colour that feels alive, shifting subtly with the light. I am completely in love with how it turned out.

A huge influence on this piece was Tahlia Stanton. I absolutely adore her work, and I took one of her courses. This painting uses so many techniques I learned from her. I was also thinking about Chris Guest’s modern pin up paintings, particularly his brushwork, while I was painting.

Midway through creating Fortune Flames, I went to see the Jenny Saville exhibition, which was incredibly impactful. In homage to her powerful portraits, I introduced teal accents into the painting. It seemed many artists in London had the same idea at the same time, because teal paint was suddenly very hard to get hold of!

Being seen to try isn’t cringe, it’s cool

Whether or not these pieces are selected, entering feels important. Art is built through repetition, risk, and resilience. Through showing up again after rejection, through pressing submit before you feel ready, through being seen to try.

So watch this space- who knows, you may see my pieces make their way to the hallowed halls of the RA!