artist’s statement
I enjoy making work that evokes a memory or sensation of nostalgia in the viewer; that demands an empathetic and positive emotional response, whether that be joy, serenity or humour. To do this I largely work from reference photographs - either those I’ve taken myself, or found images - that have both a universal appeal but also speak to our individualism and trigger a specific and personal recollection.
My work is representational but often walks the boundary between realism and abstraction, with areas that fade to focus purely on colour and the application of paint. Colour and texture are extremely important to my work and I tend to apply thick, bold, impasto layers over a brightly coloured ground to enhance the contrast. Recently I have focused on painting figures underwater because the unrivalled, weightless and relatable sense of freedom that arises from swimming is one we all crave after 18 months of living through a global pandemic.
artist’s bio
Lorelei was born in London in 1990 and has spent time living in Madrid, Barcelona and Nottingham, where she studied her BA in English and Spanish. Despite not studying Fine Art for her degree, Lorelei has always painted in her spare time and has been taking commissions since her A Levels. After graduating, she worked in the advertising industry as a Creative and then in the Civil Service, spending the past 5 years as a senior policy official in the Department for Culture (DCMS).
In September 2020, Lorelei took a career break from the Civil Service to pursue art professionally, returning to study at City and Guilds of London Art School. She spent the beginning of her course experimenting with different styles, materials and techniques, including glass work, wood work and printmaking. However Lorelei was soon drawn back towards painting and has since been selling her work via Instagram and her website to collectors from across the UK, US and Europe.
Since graduating from CGLAS, Lorelei continues to work in her home studio in East Dulwich, taking commissions and developing her personal practice.
You can view more of Lorelei’s process and journey through her Instagram page @loreleibere