Lisa Wright's paintings hold us in the present and connect us with the past. Her intimate understanding and connection to historical painting, together with the longstanding discipline of drawing Wright has always pursued, lend authenticity and gravitas. The careful balance of both figurative and abstract elements, along with a heightened and often sensual use of colour, emphasise the vibrant and contemporary nature of the work.

 

Childhood adornments of bonbons, ribbons and laces may have altered considerably but what they represent has not: the inevitable and irresistible desire to escape prepubescence with the trying on of the adult persona. By pulling visual threads through time and fastening them to the present, these gently unsettling images pinch the viewer and connect them with a shared history.

 

After studying at The Royal Academy Schools, London, 1990-1993, Wright moved to Cornwall, in the south west of England, where she currently lives and works. Her work has featured in numerous solo and curated group exhibitions both nationally and internationally and is held in many important corporate and private collections.

 

Notable achievements include her appointment as the Royal Shakespeare Company artist in residence throughout the two year period of the RSC's acclaimed 'Histories' cycle of plays, culminating in an exhibition at the Roundhouse- which ran concurrently with the plays- and subsequently at the Royal Academy of Arts London; consistent selection for the Royal Academy's Summer Exhibition for over 20 years; inclusion in the significant 'Art Now Cornwall', exhibition at Tate St Ives 2008 and winning The National Open Art Prize, the Hunting Art Prize, the 2013 Threadneedle Prize and most recently Future Forest- a collaborative project with Tom Piper to celebrate the centenary of The Forestry Commission.