Art on a Postcard International Women’s Day Auction - Curated by Jo McLaughlin

About 

Holly Brodie is a London-based painter whose work considers the relationship between people and place. Animals feature frequently as intermediaries or proxies for their human neighbours, whose connection to the spaces in which they find themselves may be less direct. She works predominantly in oil, taking full advantage of its slow-drying properties to give her time to develop and change the story behind each piece, although narratives are open to ongoing reinterpretation. 

Education 

Holly studied English at Oxford University (1998-2001), where she was encouraged to explore connections between literature and art, which continue to influence her practice. As an artist, she is self-taught. 

Select Exhibitions/Awards 

2023  

Royal West of England Academy (Bristol) – Annual Open Exhibition (also 2005, 2007-15, 2018-20)  

2022  

ING Discerning Eye (Mall Galleries, London) – invited artist  

2021  

Figurative Art Now (Mall Galleries – online)  

2019  

Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize Exhibition (Mall Galleries, London; also 2015)  

2017  

The John Ruskin Prize Shortlist Exhibition (Millennium Gallery, Sheffield) 2016 Sky Arts Landscape Artist of the Year (Stowe) Winter Pride Art Awards Exhibition (Islington Arts Factory, London)  

2015 

 Art in Action (Waterperry, Oxfordshire) National Open Art Competition (Royal College of Art, London)  

2014  

Royal Society of British Artists (Mall Galleries, London) – Annual Exhibition* (also 2006, 2013) *Winner of The Winsor & Newton Painting Award  

2013  

New English Art Club (Mall Galleries, London) – Annual Exhibition (also 2007)  

2010 

Royal West of England Academy (Bristol) – Open Painting Exhibition (also 2005)  

2008  

Royal Academy (London) – Summer Exhibition (also 2007) 

Statement about AOAP Submitted Artwork 

‘Home’ 

I’m interested by what happens in marginal spaces, where the built world gives way to its wilder, less formalised outskirts. Here there are cracks to slip through and gaps to hide in. The red fox is the ultimate specialist at adapting to the human landscape and is a recurring feature in my work. ‘Home’ is what I wrote as graffiti on the fence above the vixen and cub, though the word ended up looking more like ‘love’. 

‘Territory’ 

Over a suburban playing field, where the town lights dwindle, a barn owl hunts silently during the in-between hours as day turns to night. As its name suggests, this is a species that has successfully coexisted with humans for centuries, finding its way into our structures as well as into our art and literature, where it often hovers in the transitional space between physical and supernatural worlds. 

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