Collection: Emma Black - Unearthly Remains

Unearthly Remains is the latest collection of paintings by Emma Black. It is a visual and conceptual exploration of the interplay between humanity and the natural environment.

Opening reception: Saturday, June 24th, 6 - 9pm. Drinks will be provided by our friends at Jetty Road Brewery and Malocchio.

This exhibition will run from June 25th - July 16th and will coincide with John Walker's Beaks and Bones, and group show Dark Art 2023. 

Through a series of surreal oil paintings depicting humans overtaken by flora and fauna, gradually transforming into new beings that feel alien and more akin to an object, the exhibition endeavours to interrogate the human condition as it adapts to new and unfamiliar environments.

The portraiture and still life elements of the exhibition serve to bring dimension and depth to the exploration of identity, both personal and collective, as well as the relationship between humans and their surrounding ecosystems. The paintings are imbued with an autobiographical sensibility, as the artist grapples with the complexities of memory and its impact on selfhood.

The exhibition also engages with the broader discourse on the importance of embracing one's strengths and weaknesses and the profound impact that memories can have on shaping one's life journey. Through the interplay of art and conceptual inquiry, the series seeks to inspire a deeper sense of curiosity and openness to the unknown, as well as the courage to embrace individuality and the transformative power of personal growth: a message to hopefully resonate with us all, no matter how far removed from an alien world we may seem.

Emma Black is a UK-based artist. She graduated in 2012 from the University of Westminster with a First Class honours degree in illustration and in 2016 from the Cambridge School of Art with an MA in fine art. The unknown, whether an aspect of the physical world or a limitation of the human mind, is the main starting point for her work. Using mainly traditional media and autobiographical themes, her practice explores notions of the uncanny, the human subconscious and our relationship with death and the natural world.