Kathryn Topham

I’m fascinated by the way in which our personal experiences shape us and have the potential to unite us with others.

I paint feelings, emotions and experiences using a technique I’ve developed around themes of pressure, repetition and unpredictability.

To embrace unplanned development of textures and forms I work mostly with a roller or palette knife. I build up numerous layers of acrylic paint and brush down coatings with various degrees of pressure. A process inspired by weather-beaten surfaces and organic structures that daily catch my eye.

It’s a gradual process of forming, altering, destroying and revealing new depths of colour, texture and intricate details. Testing the limits of my medium in this way has produced a distinctive signature style that’s characterised by intriguing surface textures and sculptural dimensions.

The finished artworks act as metaphors for the refinement of character borne out of the daily weathering of life. They are honest self-portraits, my own responses to various personal experiences. 

But my hope is that they are also conversation starters, inviting you to self-reflect and add something of your own experience. By welcoming viewers to be part of the story, the artworks become multifaceted portraits and unite individuals through shared experience.