Mary Jane Ansell
Artist Statement
"Painting is my way of translating the world through a language that makes sense to me. Each of my models inspires me differently and though their likenesses are recognizable they’re not portraits as such, they are archetypes in a personal lexicon that recurs and evolves."
Biography
Based in the UK, Ansell has been selected four times for the prestigious National Portrait Award held at the National Portrait Gallery in London as well as the Royal Society of Portrait Painters and Threadneedle Prize. She has developed a distinctive technique and a language that often references the past but maintains a resolutely modern viewpoint.
Mary Jane's work has been featured on the covers of numerous magazines including American Art Collector and International Artist as well as a number of recent novels, including The Gilly Salt Sisters by New York Times bestselling author Tiffany Baker. One of her more celebrated collectors is musician Adam Ant who featured two of her paintings on the cover of his album: Adam Ant is The BlueBlack Hussar In Marrying The Gunners Daughter.
Her works are in private collections worldwide and in public collections including the National Portrait Gallery London, Brighton Museum UK and Joe Lewis Foundation.
HMS Invincible, 2018
Oil on Aluminum Panel, 23” x 15”
Asteria, 2019
Oil on Aluminum Panel, 12" x 18"