THE CBPP
Portraitureis clearlyonthemove.Manythingsonce
consideredtraditionalpracticearebeingreexamined
andquestionedbyartistsinthegroup.Thepopularity
ofTVshowslikeSkyArtsPortraitArtistoftheYearare
testamenttothefactthereis a realon-goingpublic
interestinthisdisciplineoffigurativepainting,together
withanenthusiasmtoengagewithit andpeekbehind
thecurtaintoseehowit’sdone.
SeveralCBPPmembershavefeaturedontheSkyArts
show,includingSamiraAddo,whowonfirstprizeonthe
2018 series.Thegroupclearlyenjoysbeingpartofthis
unfoldingconversationwiththepublicabouttheroleof
figurativeartnowadays,bysharingworksinprogressand
videotutorials.TheCBPPstartedrunningcompetitionsfor
non-memberstofeatureworkonourInstagramfeed,and
theoverallwinnerofthefirstcompetition,AlexWilby,has
wontheopportunitytofeatureintheupcomingexhibition.
It’snota closedshop.
TheCBPPintendstobea complementtoexistingart
establishments,nota competitor.Theaimis toshowcase
a muchbroaderspectrumofwhat’shappeninginBritish
portraiture;tolooknotjustatwhat’scommercial,butalso
atwhatis possibleaswell.Thegroup’sfirstexhibition
consciouslybuckstheusualpatternofhiringa large,
expensivegalleryspace.CassArt’sflagshipstorein
Islingtonis kindlylendingitsgalleryspacefortheofficial
launchandallprofitswillgostraightbacktotheartists.
Theexhibitionaimstobenon-hierarchicalbyinviting
exhibitorstoproduceworkona paneloffixedsize– giving
allmembers,regardlessofageorexperience,thesame
spaceonthewall.
Theexhibitionwillbea testamenttocollaborationand
connectivityviatheinternet.Whatbeganasa tentative
messagetoa fewcontactshasnowbecomeanexhibition
intherealworld.Withthisshow,themembersofthegroup
hopetoprovidesomeinspirationaboutwhatcanbe
achievedwitha littlelateralthinkingandcooperation.
ContemporaryBritishPortraitPainters:Perceptionsrunsfrom
3-22MarchatCassArtSpace,LondonN1.www.thecbpp.orgJEMISHA MAADHAVJI
What qualities should all great portraits possess?
“The emotion and character of the figure and gaze of
the eyes – they should be able to communicate with the
audience. Raqib Shaw is my all-time favourite portrait
painter. I find his painting process is very interesting as
he creates his own paints and doesn’t use a paint brush.
I also love Kehinde Wiley’s larger-than-life scale paintings
and I have been looking at Mary Jane Ansell’s work since
I was studying art A Level. Her paintings look like they
are breathing.”
jemishamaadhavji.wixsite.com
RIGHT Jemisha Maadhavji, GUCCYOTIC,
oil on canvas, 80x125cmBELOW RIGHT Thomas Leveritt, Zoe II,
oil on canvas, 66x82cm