Claire Hankey
Leigh on Sea, Essex
Contemporary abstract artist living in Leigh on Sea, Essex.
Message
BA in Art History (Hons) from University College London.
PGCE in Art- I am currently the Art co ordinator at St Michaels Preparatory School, Leigh on Sea.
I have taken many in person and online art courses over the last 3 years including The Creative Visionary Program (CVP).
Past Exhibitions
The Society of Women Artist’s Exhibition 2019- The Mall Galleries London
The Curator’s Salon Autumn Exhibition- global online exhibition 2020
Solo show- ‘Foraged Marks’ 2022- at Create98 in Leigh on Sea, Essex.
The Leigh Art Trail 2022 and 2023
Equinox- Aldeburgh Contemporary Art 2022
Wells Contemporary- Wells Cathedral- August 2023
'The Pull of The Land'- The Lightbox, Woking, Surrey- November 2023
What’s on 2024
I currently exhibit work at Aldeburgh Contemporary Arts in Suffolk and The Squeeze Café, Leigh on Sea.
Art in Offices- you can rent my work for workspaces here
The Leigh Art Trail- July 6th - 18th- The Squeeze Café
The Clifftown Telephone Box Museum, Southend - April.
My new podcast 'Where the Art Began' airs through Apple podcasts and Spotify, beginning of March.
Statement
My evocative, abstract paintings are inspired by nature walks and childhood memories. Glimmers of landscapes, shadows cast on a patio, ambiguous plant forms, are all reoccurring motifs within my work.
Through an experimental and intuitive process, the layers of paint, collage and wax are built up to create depth, texture and atmosphere. Layers are often sanded back to create tactile surfaces reminiscent of weathered forms and the passing of time.
Plants collected from the garden and estuary walks, are brought back to the studio and used as mark making tools and reference points to inspire ongoing work. Handmade collage papers pressed from botanical prints and fragile photographic references, are often embedded within the layers of each piece, adding mystery and provenance.
I hope my paintings give the viewer a visual experience, one which may lead them to connect to their own personal memories of being close to nature.