A new exhibition by an acclaimed contemporary artist is set to open in Kensington in March.
Louise Howard is set to unveil her latest solo exhibition, In Catfood and Wine: New and Intimate Works with 20 to 25 evocative pieces being displayed in an intimate gallery located just minutes from Notting Hill Gate station.
The collection delves into themes of resilience, vulnerability, and finding beauty in the mundane.
Howard said: “I paint just women as that is the subject matter that I find is the most interesting and relate to the most.
“I want to shine a light on women that have a quiet strength and be a voice for females”.
Howard, who spent over a decade living in Australia, France, and the United States, returned to London during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Amid the financial and emotional turbulence of the time, she found inspiration in life’s simplest pleasures.
Howard said: “It was really interesting being in America just to see how they receive artists.
“It’s weird because they really want you to have gone to university or art college, and that’s not such a big thing, in the UK, at least.
“They don’t really care. It’s like if you can paint, that’s all they care about.”
The collection delves into themes of resilience, vulnerability, and finding beauty in the mundane.
Known for her focus on contemplative female faces and expressive eyes, Howard’s latest pieces also introduce playful elements such as realistic depictions of everyday objects and her cat, Leonard Cohen.
This marks a shift for the artist, who balances her signature realism with new depictions of intricate details like hands, a first in her portfolio.
In Catfood and Wine is a deeply personal exploration of Howard’s experiences during the pandemic.
Her use of oil paints, complemented by mixed media, creates rich textures, while moody tones interwoven with bursts of colour capture the duality of life’s challenges and joys.
She said: “It has taken 20 years to get to this point and go through all these stages of not knowing, not sure what I was going to do or what I wanted to do.
“Long journey, but I’m getting there.”
Having exhibited her work internationally in the US, UK, and Australia, Howard has established herself as a distinctive voice in contemporary art.
Her latest collection is described as her most raw and emotionally charged to date, offering a window into the artist’s journey of reflection, survival, and rediscovery.
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