Art / Exhibitions
Contemporary Bristol artist exhibits new work at Tobacco Factory
Bristol artist Jenni Stuart is midway through an exhibition of her latest contemporary art in the main room of the Tobacco Factory.
The Tobacco Factory bar’s walls are filled with colour, texture and assertive lines are showcased in a new exhibition, with Stuart’s artistic style instantly recognisable.
Vivid colours, expressive lines, and rich textures cover every part of the canvas. She layers acrylic paint and oil bars to create complex, intricate imagery.
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“My work is abstract, and I intend for viewers to navigate their own ideas and images in the themes which run through my work,” says Stuart.
For some, they’ll see landscape and nature, others will see a representation of relationships.
Her use of colour, and specifically the combinations of pastel, neon and dark colours in each piece make her paintings eye- catching and Stuart is keen for her work to always be accessible.
“Art is for everyone, and it’s fun. Who doesn’t want fun work to look at inside their homes?”
Artist Jenni Stuart at her exhibition in the Tobacco Factory – photo: Jenni Stuart
Stuart’s work has been shown all over the South West and she painted at this summer’s Upfest, but the showcase at the Tobacco Factory is her first solo Bristol exhibition.
Originally from Cornwall, Stuart has been a Bristol resident for over a decade. And, she’s long been in love with the city.
“It felt like home as soon as I came here. I didn’t find Bristol, Bristol found me. I taught in secondary schools here, I’m raising my family here. I’m very grateful to this city”.
The culture, the arts scene, and the diversity of Bristol all influence her: “In Bristol I have space to grow as an artist, and I never fear a conversation around what art means.
“Events like Upfest, galleries such as the RWA, and the supportive networks of people like Rachel from Raven Frames, Laura from Colourful Minds and Nick from Bristol Fine Art make Bristol a unique and special place for an artist like me.”
Jenni Stuart’s works are filled with colour, texture and assertive lines – photo: Jenni Stuart
From her studio at home, Stuart paints most days. Amid half-used paint, palettes left to dry and the sun streaming in through windows to reflect off a mirrored disco ball, she leans into colour, freedom, and finding meaning in snatches of time.
On a personal level, Stuart’s work is heavily influenced by her dyslexia.
She says that she “thinks” in pictures and colour, and finds reading lines of words especially challenging. As a result, both lines and colour feature strongly in her art, competing to be the dominant presence.
Stuart’s paintings represent the chaos she can feel as a person with dyslexia. As well as making errors when reading, she also experiences visual disturbances, the appearance of words moving around or blurring, and difficulties carrying out sequences or following directions.
All these experiences are channelled into her art, while leaving space for the viewer to find their own experiences too.
All of Jenni Stuart’s paintings at the Tobacco Factory are for sale – photo: Jenni Stuart
The Tobacco Factory is a centre for culture and arts in Bristol and Stuart recognises this exhibition is a milestone in her career.
“The art has been months in the making, and the exhibition has been weeks of planning. I am so proud of how far I’ve come this year, and I’m extremely proud to bring my art to the Tobacco Factory.”
Three of the pieces – Waterfall Windfall, Going with the Swim and Raise me up, I already to/o – are exclusive to the show, never even having been shown online.
Stuart explained that in each of her exclusive pieces, she has “focused on layering the textures of paint and detail so each painting is full of things to notice”.
Jenni Stuart’s exhibition is open from 10am to 11pm until December 5 in the main room of the Tobacco Factory. Entry is free. For more information, visit www.jennistuartartist.com
Main image: Jenni Stuart
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