We are delighted to present a launch of new works available exclusively online by Rebecca Sammon. 20% sales will benefit Rebecca's nominated charity, Burma Campaign UK, which actively champions Human Rights, Democracy and Development in Burma.
Rebecca Sammon (b.1984, Wigan, UK) lives and works in London. Rebecca's bold, poetic pieces pulse with vibrant immediacy. Often Rebecca’s pieces are inspired by nature and the human form within abstracted landscapes, moving from themes of mythical narrative into the more ambiguous, fluid space of uncertainty. The balance of delicate figures is often layered with varied marks where shapes, florals and imagined landscapes emerge.
Rebecca studied Fine Art at the University of Brighton, Painting at Kansas City Art Institute and Drawing Intensive at The Royal Drawing School, London. Her works are collected privately internationally and her work has been acquired by Soho House, UK.
WG: Your colour palette is very striking. Can you please tell us a bit more about your colour choices? Also your use of pencil and pastel are also key to your practice, what is your connection to these materials and the qualities that you are most drawn to?
RS: Colour is an important aspect of my work and I like to work with quite solid blocks of colour to create tensions or potential harmonies between my figures and the world they occupy. I find with the strength of using colour in flat panels, it allows the colour to have a more direct impact on the piece and is an important part of the overall image. I always plan out the colour combinations in advance and sometimes the combination of colours I want to work with will lead the composition.
I love to work with pastels on paper as it allows me to combine working with the most direct method of drawing - intuitive drawing using pencil on paper and combining this with my love for bold vibrant colour. The way the materials interact is something that interests me and the element of chance using these materials is something that just works well.
WG: What is your studio like? What do you listen to when you work?
RS: Right now I'm in the process of moving so I am working from home and my set up is more limited - as a result, I have just the essentials with me, which although limiting, I feel that the possibilities are really endless when working primarily with drawing. When I'm working, I like to listen to a mix of things, watching a film I’ve seen before or some trashy true crime TV show in the background. I do listen to music too but mainly when drawing to get into a good drawing zone - otherwise whatever keeps me there works best.
WG: Your process is very intuitive. Can you please tell me a bit more about what your process is like?
RS: I work very loosely in pencil on paper until things start to take shape and start to feel right, I usually know what I want the overall look of the piece to be but I don’t often like to plan things out too much as with the materials I use - there is an element of blur and movement once I start layering the oil pastels and sometimes this can obscure the faces too much or send the blur in the wrong direction. As a result there is a lot of trial and error with the way I work, and it’s quite difficult to fully plan a piece so there is an element of chance that comes into every piece, particularly when working with heavy graphite in the drawing - when it works out well it feels like magic as it could easily have gone the other way.
WG: What inspired your new collection?
RS: This collection of works builds on recurrent themes around love and the relationships between the figures, a kind of created symbolism, and an exploration of mythological themes that travel with the figures to explore a new world. The figures occupy a dream-like reality and are exposed to more familiar elements of the natural world at odds with the colours of their worlds.
WG: Could you kindly share a bit about your connection to the Burma Campaign and why you have nominated this particular charity?
RS:I spent some time in Myanmar a few years ago and felt inspired by being there and fell in love with the richness and warmth of the people there. The Burma Campaign supports the fight for democracy in Myanmar. In recent months Burmese people have been risking their lives to stage peaceful protests on the streets of Myanmar since the military coup started in Spring and I wanted to support in any way I could.
All works are available to buy directly online from our website. A UK delivery fee of £10 will be added to UK orders and £15 to overseas orders. Please subscribe or contact us to gain early access. Many thanks.
For more information or early access to the works please contact us or email info@wilder.gallery