Ilsa Brittain, UK born, has lived a life time abroad. She studied in Moscow, Kathmandu and completed a two year masters in New York. Her paintings involve an intense process of layering, using acrylics in a unique way that results in an ultra shiny surface. A strange tension is created where the imagery appears to be immensely tangible and present but just beyond reach below the surface. Using cloth as a motif Ilsa animates the inanimate, speaking not just about human drives for connection, but life-as-a-whole’s drive for connection. The imagery feels in motion as if chance and will are at work simultaneously. A strange tension is created again around time where things are always moving into or out of place - the present is only present for the moment.
Ilsa Brittain
Ilsa’s work is being collected across Europe and in New York. She regularly exhibits in London, for instance with Feelium Gallery, The Mall Galleries, The Handbag Factory Gallery, Flowers Gallery, Kupfer Gallery, Sunny Art Centre and others. She is regularly invited to art residencies, for instance Leipzig International Art Residency in Germany, providing her with opportunities for new insights and a chance to experiment. To appreciate the translucency and shiny effects of her paintings it is best to see them in person. Her studio in Croydon is open to invitation.