Derek Watkins

I am a contemporary figurative artist based in Southsea, England, working primarily in acrylics to explore movement, rhythm and human expression. My work is drawn to ballet not only for its elegance, but for its ability to reveal the body in motion, stretched, contorted, resolving and charged with force.

Through expressive brushwork, layered colour and moments of abstraction, I seek to capture what lies beneath performance: the discipline, strain and endurance that make movement appear effortless. Whether portraying a solitary dancer or the interplay between figures, my paintings reflect tension and release, presence and emotional depth.

My aim is not likeness alone, but resonance, inviting the viewer into a space where form dissolves into feeling and movement becomes a visual language.

Self-directed artistic practice focused on figurative painting and expressive movement, developed over years of studio exploration and refinement.

Solo Exhibition — Round Tower, Hotwalls, Old Portsmouth (January 2026)
Art Surrey (multiple years)
Bath Art Fair – Bath Pavilion (2024)
Art Sussex (multiple years)
Portraits Exhibition — Gallery Omnibus, Dresden (2023–24)