Demetrius Left Behind Painting

I'm an abstract figurative artist based in London, working with acrylics on canvas to produce paintings that ask us to reflect on how we position ourselves in relation to others. They explore the themes of bravery, vulnerability, transition and performance. ​I tend to start with chaos on a canvas. Wonderful, messy and unpredictable. From there, I bring the piece into focus, often using figures, denser layers of paint and embracing what could be considered mistakes. In fact, I find that deviations from my intended line or composition produce my most organic and exciting work. ​​​Outside of painting, I have two decades of acting experience under my belt and I draw from my theatre and film work when I paint. Not only from a visual point of view - the composition of a frame, how light and colour influence an audience's mood - but also from an emotional perspective. I try to carry the actor's prerogative to play, experiment and dare into every work I create. My acting work is all about story-telling and I hope that my paintings help the viewer to experience their own story, be it a trip into themselves or beyond to another world.