Venetia Syms


Website: www.venetiasyms.com

Instagram: venetia.syms.artist


Statement


“I am a painter inspired by finding dramatic scenes of nature working both from my studio en plein air. My paintings are all about finding a place between figurative and abstract art using bold brushstrokes and pockets of impasto colour inspired beauty and mystery. Using a palette knife I stroke lavish layers of oil paint to capture the life and colour of the natural world often conveying a dreamlike space.”


Biography


Born in Belfast, 1990

Venetia studied classical portraiture at Charles Cecil Studios in Florence, and went on to University College Falmouth and the Heatherley’s School of Fine Art in London. She was a contestant on ‘Landscape Artist of the Year’ TV programme in 2016.

Venetia now paints colourful impasto paintings inspired by the natural world from her studio in London.

Prior to this Venetia was living in Zimbabwe for four years. Initially to see family roots and paint dramatic landscapes and exotic wildlife. After her first year she had a solo show in Harare depicting her ‘Balancing Rocks’ series. Subsequently she co-founded an African sculpture and design art gallery. The principal objective was to represent a collective of contemporary African artists inspired by nature. Working with local artists and communities sourcing suitable stone according to an ethos of sustainability and fair trade. Sadly, this all came to an end at the beginning of the covid pandemic and she moved back to the U.K. 

Venetia’s art constantly evolves around themes of nature. Growing up in the countryside in the Southwest. Venetia also paints powerful impasto landscapes of scenes that remind her of “home.”  Venetia’s paintings have been shown at exhibitions in the UK, Holland and Zimbabwe. Her colourful landscape and botanical paintings were shown at Chelsea Flower show 2021& 2022. Her patterned still life painters featured in a show at Bergdorf Goodman in New York January 2023.