Lydia Blakeley

Lydia Blakeley is a British painter born in Berkshire in 1980, currently residing and working in North Yorkshire. She holds an MFA from Goldsmiths, which she obtained in 2019, and a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from Leeds College of Art, which she completed in 2016.

Lydia's paintings explore the contemporary world and social issues, offering alternative interpretations of the present. She employs paint to create new layers of meaning and narratives in her works, capturing everyday life and suspending the image in time. Her recent works focus on the spectacle of sporting events in the UK, creating bittersweet portraits that reflect the chaos and disenchantment of Brexit Britain.

Lydia has had several solo exhibitions, including "Vocation" at Blank in Leeds in 2021, "Classics" at Niru Ratnam Gallery in London in 2020, "National Velvet" at Alessandro Albanese Gallery in Matera, Italy in 2020, and "Hospitality" at Steve Turner Gallery in Los Angeles in 2020. She has also participated in numerous group shows, such as "Mixing it Up: Painting Today" at Hayward Gallery in London in 2021, "The Artist is Online" at Konig Gallery in Berlin in 2021, "Everyday Heroes" at Hayward Gallery in London in 2020, "Crowd" at Hannah Barry Gallery in London in 2020, "FBA Futures 2020" at Mall Galleries in London in 2020, and "When Species Meet" at Transition Two Gallery in Hackney, London in 2019.