Naomi Tomkys OBE
Naomi Tomkys was born in London and trained at Central St Martins, and lives and works in Cambridgeshire. She has exhibited nationally and internationally, including at the Mall Galleries and at Sak and Catto Contemporary in London, and in exhibitions and collections as far afield as Paris, Texas, Los Angeles, Chicago, Kuwait and Dubai. In 2022 she received an Arts Council Award to develop her practice, and she was selected for the XV Florence Biennale. Her work is held in the D'Albret Collection.
She paints in oil, engaging with a broad range of subject matter from tourists punting to festival goers, and portrays a world of authenticity that reflects moments in time as joys and the idiosyncrasies of daily life. Her influences are eclectic, ranging from the humanity of Edward Hopper to the narratives of Paula Rego. A merging of past and present plays a significant part in her work, acting as shorthand for our cultural familiarities: a child wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt on a school trip, or a group of Cambridge men in their uniform of Panama hats as the sun comes out.
Her work straddles realism and impressionism, the looseness of brushstroke changing to reflect the tale being told. She uses traditional oil painting techniques including chiaroscuro, imprimatura, mass tone and glazing, with a limited classical palette focused primarily on skin tones.
Artist Statement
For as long as I can remember, I've played the same people-watching game. I imagine what strangers walking past do, who they love and what's in their pockets. My work is a development of this simple idea, I paint characters not figures. I present their stories.
My aim is to reflect a sense of personality in my paintings by collecting drawn people and inviting you to see what you will. I want my work to muster a familiar happiness, to laugh at the small things and feel a little warmer.