Selva Bonfire Painting

Gemma Rodrigues was born in Kent, South East, England in 1978. Having lived in Sitges, South West, Barcelona, Spain part of her life, she now resides in Deal, Kent, England. Throughout her life, Gemma has always been creative. Experimenting with Different mediums, fascinated by how art can empower both the artist and the viewer. This idea was later explored during her degree at Kingston University, London, where she studied BA honours in illustration. After completing her degree, Gemma went on to work as a freelance illustrator. Alongside her work as an illustrator she also began working with blind children. Bridging the gap to make art more accessible to the visually impaired. Which led Gemma on to study MA Art psychotherapy at Goldsmiths London. Focussing on art being the voice without the words, providing the artist and viewer a freedom expression without boundaries or rules. Gemma worked within the NHS with both children and adults, her area of expertise being with inpatient adult mental health. Whilst creating art in her group sessions, Gemma discovered a love of abstract artists like Vasily Kandinsky, Mark Rothko, Joan Mitchell, Christopher Wool, Jean -Michel Basquiat. They inspired Gemma to be more fluid with her paintings. She began painting in a very expressive way, abstract elements are delved into creating metaphorical worlds, exploring the areas in between. Using mostly acrylic paints and oil pastels she enjoys experimenting with layers and textures to create a sense of movement. Gemma’s ongoing subject matter is her emotional response to climate change. “ One of the the challenges in Climate Change is that we mostly can’t see it. With my art I hope to utilise the power of art to ignite a positive dialogue to widen our knowledge of Climate Change.” Throughout her a artistic career she has exhibited across UK, Europe and USA. Her work can be found in private collections around the world.