Zoë Dawes is a self-taught British artist that invites the viewer to meditate on the extraordinary within the ordinary by creating intricate photorealistic oil paintings that pay close attention to the realistic qualities of surface and texture and the interplay between light and shadow.

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Dawes became interested in painting at a young age and was selected as part of the Royal Society of British Artists’ ‘Rising Stars’ exhibition at the Mall Galleries in London at the age of 16. After being dissuaded from pursuing an education in fine art she went on to instead gain a degree in art history from the University of St Andrews where she developed a strong conceptual knowledge that influences her practice today. It was during the Covid-19 pandemic that Dawes rediscovered her own creative impulse and at the end of 2022 bought her first set of oil paints, deciding to quit her job and put her savings towards developing an artistic practice. Less than a year later, she has built an exciting level of momentum and succeeded in producing an impressive body of highly-skilled work. She is at a pivotal moment in her career as an emerging artist, with her background in art history taking her current work into new conceptual territories and her technical ability ensuring the upward trajectory of her practice.

 

By choosing to depict transient moments of familiarity that might otherwise be overlooked, Dawes’ photorealistic style encourages the viewer to immerse themselves in contemplation of the everyday through its commitment to precision and a minute level of detail. By utilizing a traditional representative style of painting, her practice subverts the notion that only grand or seemingly impressive moments are worthy of artistic portrayal, thus transforming how we perceive the commonplace.

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For information regarding commissions or general enquiries please contact me via email at zoedawesart@gmail.com.

Find me on Instagram @zo_dws.