Responding to an increasingly digitalised world where images and time periods merge and appear in one seemingly eternal present, Harriet Gillett’s practice attempts to slow down these increasingly fast-paced encounters into images of reverie.

Taking reference from the charged vibrancy of post-impressionism and the devotional nature of western religious formats, her combination of traditional subjects with contemporary materials enables her to playfully tread a line between multiple perspectives and time periods.

Moving between intimate works evoking personal memories and scaled-up pieces that take on a more universal quality, the results are dreamlike and lyrical explorations of a more psychological approach to time and place. Literature is a key inspiration and text is sometimes added to suggest another layer of perspective.

Gillett completed her MA in Fine Art from City and Guilds Art School in 2022. She was shortlisted for the 2020 Ingram prize, as one of the 2023 New Contemporaries artists, and will be participating in the 2023 Palazzo Monti Residency. She has participated in a number of group exhibitions with New Normal Projects, Roman Road, Brooke Bennington and Soho Revue.

Originally from East Yorkshire, Gillett currently lives and works in London.

Photo by Tristan Bouan