Artist Statement
I find the energy of an abandoned space fascinating. A place once so full of the business of human domestic, or work endeavour, and yet so void of life now. Sometimes a hint of sadness and loss can be felt - nature soon reclaims the space reminding us of the impermanence of living. There is a stillness in the energy that bears the weight of what went before, a heavy silence of history that fills the air. The absence of human life doesn't seem to completely extinguish the energy within the space. The essence of that energy within an abandoned place is essentially what I strive to capture in my work. Impermanence. The peace of emptiness. The stillness of now. Lou Ryan now lives and works in South West London. She attended art college before pursuing a career in advertising and marketing for many years. Even though she sporadically sold paintings and drawings from a young age, after having children she began painting full time in her studio in Teddington in 2003. Most of her earlier works reflect her love of colour, being vibrant still lifes painted mainly using a palette knife. In more recent years her work has been influenced by the seven years she spent living in Hong Kong from 2008-2015. Her fascination with the abandoned villages scattered in the hills of rural Hong Kong has lead to some of her most successful work. Since living back in the UK she has continued exploring the theme of abandonment drawing inspiration locally and through her travels in Europe. |