Mia Chaplin is a painter based in Cape Town. Her artwork is characterized by its expressive style, with thick layers of paint and visible brushstrokes. Recently, she has been using a muted colour palette of pink tones and golden highlights in her pieces.
Mia’s paintings often feature still lifes, figure studies, and landscapes, exploring familiar subjects. Her loose and erratic painting style, reminiscent of the impressionists, adds an emotional depth to her work. There is a sense of detachment and estrangement, reflecting a disconnection between the self and the surroundings.
In her recent works, Mia has incorporated flowers into her paintings. She finds them visually appealing and enjoys working with their various colours and compositions. Flowers, often given for special occasions like weddings or funerals, serve as a symbol that can convey different emotions such as grief or joy. For her, they provide a platform to express her own feelings.
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Experimentation plays a role in Mia’s work. When she wanted to create a thicker texture for her paintings, she began exploring different materials. She experimented with small swatches of canvas soaked in wood glue, inspired by techniques used in film sets to recreate draped fabric.
This led her to create solid objects that added depth and a sense of immersion to her paintings. She further explored wire, paper maché, and plaster of Paris, allowing her artwork to evolve in an experimental and playful manner.
Among Chaplin’s symbolic works, the vases hold particular significance. Their shapes and the images depicted on them carry deep meaning. The curvaceous forms of the vases resemble animals carrying water, evoking a sense of femininity and strength
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The texture of the oil paint adds a bubbly quality to them. The vases feature illustrative images and symbols, including knives and bear traps, representing both protection and violence. Chaplin incorporates images of self-directed violence, such as harmful substances like cigarettes, wine, and antidepressants, as a reflection of personal soothing and a desire for protection.
