Bao and the Astronomer Painting

Naomi Tomkys OBE lives and works in Cambridgeshire. She grew up in London where she attended Central St. Martins School of Art. Tomkys has shown in a wide range of group shows and one-man shows both nationally and internationally including The Mall Gallery, Sak and Catto Contemporary in London and in exhibitions and collections as far afield as Texas and Dubai. She also exhibits regularly with the Cambridge Drawing Society and Open Studios. Tomkys’ influences are eclectic and range from the classism of Botticelli to humanity of Hopper to the narrative structures of Rego. Each reflects her own interests in dynamic composition, nostalgic and telling stories of moments in time. Nostalgia plays a significant part in Tomkys’ work, not as sentimentality but as a short cut to cultural connections. Nostalgia presents as a child wearing a Che Guevara T-shirt on a school trip on a school trip, or jar of Nutella or a group of older Cambridge men wearing the same straw Panama hats as soon as the sun comes out. Inspiration comes from the day to day moments that make her smile. Tomkys engages with a broad range of subject matter from iconic punters and picnickers to circus high wire acts. Tomkys portrays a world of authenticity reflecting the joys and idiosyncrasies of daily life. ' Tomkys describes her work as straddling realism and impressionism with changing looseness of brushstroke reflecting the tales being told. She uses traditional oil painting techniques including chiaroscuro, imprimatura, mass tone and glazing to explore her subjects. A limited classical palette, primarily focussing on skin tones, results in a controlled, explorative and joyous body of work celebrating colour. Tomkys has shown in group and one-man shows both nationally and internationally, including The Mall Gallery, Sak and Catto Contemporary, and in exhibitions and collections as far afield as Texas and Dubai. She exhibits regularly with the Cambridge Drawing Society and Open Studios. In 2022, Tomkys received an Arts Council Award to develop her practice.