Pie Herring: Studio Visit
“ A studio does not have to be a fixed space. I recently returned from a four-month long trip to Kenya which saw me traveling to various places to create a series of paintings for an upcoming exhibition. ”
INTERVIEW WITH PIE HERRING AND LAURA DAY WEBB
LONDON, UK
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you came to be an artist?
My name is Pie Herring and I’m a London-based painter, predominantly working in oils. My work is figurative, and conscious of photography’s true-to-life aesthetic, I am continually seeking ways to represent human form in an exclusively painterly and contemporary way.
I came to art in a natural way, when I was first introduced to oil paints during an art lesson in middle school, it was love at first splodge. I was given a set for my birthday and never really went back. I went to senior school on an art scholarship and a lot of my free time was spent hiding away in a shed at home, caking the walls in spray paint and experimenting on canvas. I went on to the Edinburgh College of Art to study Painting and was thrilled to be awarded a First-Class degree and an opportunity to exhibit at the 2019 Royal Scottish Academies New Contemporaries. After a year of working in that same shed post-university, I was able to move to London and set up shop in a beautiful studio in North Acton, where I remain today.
What is your approach to starting a new work?
Much of my work draws on human and societal issues. I often think up new narratives or topics of interest whilst painting in my studio. Alongside reading related texts and articles, I research how other artists have explored these themes and begin to build up an idea of how I can approach the subject. I work primarily from photographs and often set up photo shoots myself with the people I paint
What role does your studio space play in your practice?
My studio has always been a safe and calming space for me, I can go there to escape and get lost in painting. When external life becomes confusing, the studio is always grounding, and a reminder of who you are and how far you’ve come. I believe the studio is a true reflection of an artist's identity and if you are lucky enough to have other artists working in the vicinity, the opportunity for creativity and conversation is invaluable. I also believe that a studio does not have to be a fixed space, I recently returned from a four-month long trip to Kenya which saw me traveling to various places to create a series of paintings for an upcoming exhibition.
What are you working on now?
I have created a series of eight paintings which stem from a project that saw myself and filmmaker Charlie V. Rose travel to Lewa Wildlife Park in Kenya to learn about the impact that the Corona Virus has had on the people who work for and live around the park. We then translated these stories into a short film and a series of paintings and sketches. These works aim to raise awareness and profits for the park, and specifically the members of the community that we feel privileged to have met.