b. 1996
Gwen Evans (b. 1996, Wales) lives in Liverpool. Her work makes voyeurs of its viewers; ambiguous domestic narratives frame subjects in private states of exchange, isolation, and contemplation. By depicting subjects whose narrative and time period refuse to be fixed the viewer is prevented from knowing their identities. Subjects are often solitary, even in paintings with accompanying figures, they are condemned to remain suspended in their perpetual isolation, whether that’s introspectively disengaged from the other, or physically separated by walls or curtains. These barriers and ambiguous narratives act as conduits for larger themes around contemporary and social anxieties. Gwen draws her inspiration from elements of the uncanny and early Italian renaissance painting. In 2022 she was awarded the Granada Foundation Gallery award after exhibiting in the HOME Open. She graduated with a BA in Fine Art from the Manchester School of Art in 2018. Exhibitions include: Open, The Royal Cambrian Academy, Conwy (2021), Talking Sense, Portico Library, Manchester (2021), Contemporary Young Artist Award, The Biscuit Factory, Newcastle (2020), Wales Contemporary, Waterfront Gallery, Pembrokeshire, (2020), Y Lle Celf, The Senate, Welsh Assembly Building, Cardiff.