Each of us is formed of tiny sparks of electricity. Illuminating our way in the world through a constellation of unique interactions, these synaptic flares act as beacons, mapping out who we are and how we think in an explosion of light. In her stunning debut collection, Afterglow , Emma-Leone Palmer invites us to explore a supernatural negative space to navigate the neural pathways of our own minds. Spiralling across each of the large-scale original oil paintings is a seemingly chaotic entanglement of neon wires. Allegorising not only the complexity of our thoughts but the digital information we receive and process on a daily basis, these bursts of light illuminate the female subjects whilst deepening the darkness they inhabit. After fighting her own internal battles, the abstract forms are a torch for Emma to illuminate her thoughts. The former Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year contestant explains: “This is where I am most me, where I thrive and where I feel most alive. Everything else feels like white noise. On reflection, I’ve been painting little parts of myself – trying to work it out in a whirlwind that’s been spinning me hard.” To create her hypnotic pieces, Emma fixes pliable lighting strips and neon wires to her subjects. Using colours similar to infrared photography, the Surrey-based artist captures the futuristic otherness of the body by exploring each subject’s intimate connection with energy. She adds: “The way the light play catches the undulations has me mesmerised as a painter. I knew I had to experiment and play in a new way. Be naked, be vulnerable, strip it back, change it up.”
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