CuratorSpace Artist Bursary #16: Narbi Price

Narbi Price is a painter and winner of the Contemporary British Painting Prize 2017. His work involves journeys to specific places that have witnessed a range of events – variously historical, famous, personal or forgotten. Working from photographs taken at the site, he makes paintings in the studio focussing on abstract, formal and painterly qualities to simultaneously acknowledge and disrupt the representational image.

"I have been making paintings showing floral tributes for several years now, mostly these are anonymous votive memorials, but I have also made work showing more recognisable memorials. Referencing memento mori, vanitas painting, floriography and the still life tradition, these paintings are quiet contemporary reflections on loss, memorial and love. Some of these works have been shown in the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, Hansard Studio, London and Rye Art Gallery, and a triptych was featured in Phaidon's 'Vitamin P3: New Perspectives in Painting' in 2016.

I aim to expand the work into a body of 50 small works each showing a different tribute, with the intention that they are shown together as a single, large painting installation. Each single painting will refer to a single event and the scale of the eventual piece will speak to the transience of life, and the quiet acts of pilgrimage that the placing of each memorial took. The act of painting the flowers which fade makes these memorials permanent. This work will form a key part of my next solo exhibition, showcasing works from the past 5 years."

You can see more of Narbi's work on his website.

 

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