University of Atypical are delighted to present the first solo exhibition by 2019 IDA Award winner, Fiona Stewart.
Drawing on Freudian ideas of the uncanny, Stewart’s work occupies territory that is both familiar and ‘other’. Specifically focusing on the subconscious, her work draws on genetic memory and inherited trauma – bringing the cognitive into the physical – and vice versa. Not necessarily negative, the artist plays with the poignancy of energy transfers; from one being or material or interpretation into another.
Alongside this interest in transference, Stewart has also worked as a Graphic Designer for many years, resulting in a process-oriented, layered approach to what she refers to as paintings. Vibrant colour compositions, glass layers and rugged textures invite the viewer to begin a subtle sense of discovery across each surface, discerning the differences in hue, contrasts and finishes.
Stewart says: ‘experiences and memories alter our molecular structure over time and this exhibition – my first solo presentation with University of Atypical – is a personal representation of that.’