In 2019, I graduated from Norwich University of the Arts with a BA(Hons) degree in Fine Art, in the same year I was fortunate enough to make the final of the John Ruskin Prize and I was awarded the winner of the Bishop’s Art Prize. Since graduating, I have exhibited in London, Manchester and local venues around Norwich.
For a long time, I have been interested in the relationship between beauty and the grotesque. I explore this relationship using food.
I’m inspired by strange dishes I find in retro cookbooks and memories from my own childhood, therefore my paintings often have a sense of nostalgia to them and I aim to trigger memories within the viewer. Another aim of mine is to make the viewer feel slightly uneasy or confused; often my paintings initially look appealing or beautiful, but there is usually something peculiar about the image that may make you think twice.
More recently, I have been exploring a similar relationship using flowers, more specifically the contrast between natural and artificial beauty. By adorning already beautiful and pure objects, such as flowers, I am able to create a different kind of beauty that is perplexing and garish. The vivid colours I often use in my work also emphasise this.
I have started to explore olfactory art and how scent can impact my paintings. These scents link to the subjects within my artwork and can help to trigger a memory or enhance the painting. I have found that adding scent to my work engages the viewer in a much more direct way.
Education
2016 - 2019
Norwich University of the Arts
Awards
2019
2019
2020
Winner of Bishop's Art Prize
Finalist in the John Ruskin Prize
Runner-up in the Sworders Art Prize
Exhibitions
Solo
2018
'Razzle Dazzle' - Nunnsyard, Norwich
2020
'A Feast for the Senses' - The Corn Hall, Diss
2021
'Vivid Memories' - Anteros Arts Foundation, Norwich
Group
2018
'Botanical Response', John Innes Centre, Norwich
2018
'Arouse', Fairhurst Gallery, Norwich
2019
NUA Degree Show, Norwich
2019
Bishop's Art Prize: 'Streams in the Desert', Norwich
2019
Free Range, The Truman Brewery, London
2019
John Ruskin Prize: 'Agent of Change', Holden Gallery, Manchester
2019
'Feasting on Femininity', Les Fêtes Galantes, London
2020
Recent Graduate Exhibition, Battersea Spring Affordable Art Fair, Evolution London
2020
Sworders Art Prize, Holt Festival, Holt
2021
'2020', King House Gallery, Stratford-Upon-Avon
2021
IEA Open Exhibition 2021, The Gallery, Holt
2021
Sworders Art Prize, Holt Festival, Holt
Contact
Email: emilia.symis@gmail.com
Facebook: Emilia Symis Art
Instagram: @emiliasymis_art
Twitter: @emiliasymis_art
Linkedin: Emilia Symis
