Joy Wolfenden Brown Wins Evolver Prize at RWA Open

Joy Wolfenden Brown features in the Jan/Feb issue of Evolver Magazine as a result of winning the Evolver Prize at the RWA Open Exhibition  for her painting ‘Heartburst’.

 In the words of Joy Wolfenden Brown, “Painting finds its way, its truth.” In the article Fiona Robinson, contemplates these words; she explores how Joy’s paintings  exude a sense of isolation, of deep feeling and pain but also a profound sense of hope. After graduation from art school Joy started out as an art therapist which lead to her learning about people inner lives; what goes on behind the steady façade so many of us hold up to the world. In her paintings it is this inner world of the subject or essence which she draws out for the viewer to behold. She often works from memory, so the figures are not always a particular person, but rather a universal female figure. Therefore, when confronted with Joy’s work the viewer may see parts of themselves in the work; the inner world of isolation and aloneness we all sometimes feel no matter how hard we try to project an image something quite opposite. Robinson suggests that it is Joy’s layering process of paint and her ‘breath-taking risks with space which leave us to marble at figures of such exquisite and exotic beauty which seem ‘to float, almost, in a sea of colour and space’. Joy does not do preparatory sketching out of the compositions; all the workings out are there for the viewer to behold – nothing is hidden – as Robinsons says – ‘Everything begins and ends on the same page’. 

Wolfenden Brown works towards her exhibition at Anima Mundi later in the year, and her recent painting ‘Her Life’ is currently on display at Anima Mundi as part of the Mixed Winter Exhibition which can be seen by clicking here

For more information on Joy Wolfenden Brown click here