Artist in RESIDENCE: Aniela preston
During the Sarah Kravitz Residency Programme, artist Aniela Preston developed a series of paintings exploring themes of isolation, self-perception, and the psychological complexity of the female experience.
Working within a figurative framework, Preston constructs carefully staged environments in which solitary female figures occupy quiet, often architectural spaces. In one work, a lone figure stands within a stark interior, her presence emphasised by the surrounding emptiness. The composition reflects on the lingering psychological impact of isolation, drawing from the collective experience of confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In another painting, a nude figure stands immersed in a bath, holding a mirror that reflects a distorted or less idealised version of herself. Here, Preston engages with themes of vanity, self-scrutiny, and the tension between external appearance and internal perception. The work disrupts traditional representations of the female nude, shifting the focus from objectification to introspection and psychological unease.
Across the series, Preston’s paintings are marked by a precise, almost theatrical sense of space, where architectural elements frame and isolate the figure. Her use of soft colour palettes and controlled composition heightens a sense of stillness, while reinforcing the emotional weight of the scenes.
Together, these works examine how women navigate identity, perception, and solitude, positioning the figure not as an object of observation, but as a site of internal dialogue and self-awareness.
Preston graduated with a BA in Fine Art from the University of Leeds in 2021, following a Foundation Diploma at Central Saint Martins. She was selected as a finalist for the Ingram Prize in 2022 and the Royal Society of British Artists’ Rome Scholarship in 2023. Working primarily in acrylic, her practice combines hyper-realistic technique with a contemporary sensibility, creating compositions that balance classical form with intimate subject matter.
