Emily Thornton moved to Zambia in 2018 following a fine art foundation at Byam Shaw, Central St Martins and a degree in Fine Art at Newcastle University. She now lives and works outside Lusaka.
Building on the themes of temperature, the changes in the seasons and the impact of the sun on the earth, Emily's work explores her emotional response to the landscape. ‘Experiences are a series of fleeting moments,’ Emily explains. ‘A shimmer of heat, the sun hitting your face in the morning, the threads of thoughts born out of simple colours and forms. These ideas and thoughts translate into the studio.’
With her love and ongoing exploration of colour, new landscapes, evolving forms, spaces, marks and shapes emerge. ‘Living in the colour of the seasons’ Emily explains, ‘different colours denote different elements. The shapes and colours relate closely to each other.' Building up the canvas with layers of paint, the underpainting is clearly visible, bringing real substance, intensity and depth to the work. This process is as important as the painting itself. ‘These shadows create the synergy. They complete the journey.’
Emily’s work is woven through her own personal experiences and emotions. In the quiet reflective space of the studio in Lusaka her painting is a constant and an ally. With this steady confidence in her own creative space, there is a quiet assurance, an inner resolve and strength that shines through her work. Aligned with the cycle of the seasons, the completion of the circle, ‘nature has a way of resolving.’
Above all else it is the ‘joy of being in Zambia,’ that runs so profoundly through Emily’s painting. This connection, sense of self and the sanctuary of home is greater than ever. ‘Zambia lies at the heart of everything.’
Building on the themes of temperature, the changes in the seasons and the impact of the sun on the earth, Emily's work explores her emotional response to the landscape. ‘Experiences are a series of fleeting moments,’ Emily explains. ‘A shimmer of heat, the sun hitting your face in the morning, the threads of thoughts born out of simple colours and forms. These ideas and thoughts translate into the studio.’
With her love and ongoing exploration of colour, new landscapes, evolving forms, spaces, marks and shapes emerge. ‘Living in the colour of the seasons’ Emily explains, ‘different colours denote different elements. The shapes and colours relate closely to each other.' Building up the canvas with layers of paint, the underpainting is clearly visible, bringing real substance, intensity and depth to the work. This process is as important as the painting itself. ‘These shadows create the synergy. They complete the journey.’
Emily’s work is woven through her own personal experiences and emotions. In the quiet reflective space of the studio in Lusaka her painting is a constant and an ally. With this steady confidence in her own creative space, there is a quiet assurance, an inner resolve and strength that shines through her work. Aligned with the cycle of the seasons, the completion of the circle, ‘nature has a way of resolving.’
Above all else it is the ‘joy of being in Zambia,’ that runs so profoundly through Emily’s painting. This connection, sense of self and the sanctuary of home is greater than ever. ‘Zambia lies at the heart of everything.’