"Though strikingly lifelike, Ness's paintings resist photorealism. She does not prioritise exact representation or strict adherence to scale and perspective. She revels in the materiality of oil paint - brushstrokes are visible, gestures intentional, and the surface always alive. In doing so, Ness aligns herself with a lineage of figurative painters, drawing resonance from David Hockney, Norman Rockwell, and most notably, Lucian Freud."
"Painter's Chair (2025) was created after a visit to Freud's London studio. It captures smeared paint, used tubes, stained furniture - conjuring Freud's presence through absence. Ness paints his paint, in his manner, on her terms. The work becomes a reflexive homage, a study in influence, artistic lineage, and the complexities of inheritance. It offers a clear view of the intelligence and wit that underpin her practice."
Rebecca Ness paints everyday life, focusing on people encountered directly and through surrounding environments, objects, and ephemera. She composes tightly constructed mises en scènes filled with visual cues that suggest latent stories. Her works are technically virtuosic, formally complex, and propelled by a vivid sense of self. Ness resists photorealism, prioritising visible brushwork, intentional gestures, and an animated paint surface that emphasizes oil's materiality. She draws resonance from David Hockney, Norman Rockwell, and Lucian Freud while asserting her own identity within oil-painting traditions. Painter's Chair (2025) acts as a reflexive homage and study of artistic inheritance.
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