"Winking" Painting

Natalie Maxted specializes in acrylic portraitures, drawing inspiration from art historical movements while engaging with themes of contemporary image culture. In an age dominated by high-saturation, over-processed visuals, and extreme filters, her work distills the essence of these digitally enhances images. Rather than relying on digital tools to emphasize every pixel, Maxted employs traditional painting techniques to eliminate extraneous details. This approach allows the raw human expression—capturing distinct emotions, moods, and moments—to take center stage, defined by bold color-blocks, striking features, and the emotive power of the subject. An accomplished American/British/Finnish rising artist, Maxted holds an undergraduate degree from The University of St Andrews and a M.A. in the History and Business of Art and Collecting from the University of Warwick. With advanced degrees and a comprehensive knowledge of art history, she has extensive experience within the art industry, having worked at Christie’s, one of the world’s leading auction houses, as well as various other art businesses. After years in the art world, Natalie made the transition to a full-time artist. Her international experience, having lived in Colombia, Norway, Malaysia, Finland, the US, Italy, France, and the UK, informs much of her artistic practice. Natalie is currently based in the United States. Her work has been showcased in world-renowned and well-respected international art events within the art world, including Miami Art Basel at the Red Dot Art Fair and at the New York Artexpo in April 2025 as well as well-known galleries such as The Brick Lane Gallery which has displayed the likes of Banksy. Maxted’s ‘Pop Culture’ series, created in collaboration with former celebrity and royal photographer Allan Warren, garnered significant attention. In the UK, her award-winning piece Pathogen was featured in the Cambridge Independent Newspaper described as ‘Testing the Nation’s Temperature,’ and her work Light and Dark was selected by a panel of experts, including an Archbishop, as a finalist to be displayed at the OXO Tower in London. Notwithstanding her accolades, Maxted’s story is one of resilience and strength. After experiencing personal loss, including the passing of her partner, she has emerged stronger, using her art as a form of expression and healing.