Lauren Clark, Maike Nielsen

Lauren Clark -
I am a contemporary/ fine artist based in Cheltenham, England.

The foundation for my work is drawing and the many forms it can take. I experiment with drawing in relation to other mediums, such as, digital media, photography and painting. There is usually an element of collage and layering, it is not always what it seems at first glance. This layering tells a story, which the viewer can unravel. I am inspired and motivated by my personal experiences of place and time. Recent works have questioned how our personal memories are distorted, through the digital filter of data recall.
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Concerned with how technological advances will continue to change the context of my work, I am progressively interested in what it means to bring the virtual into real life, with handmade, traditional techniques.

I studied Fine art at the University of Gloucestershire, where I completed my BA and MA. Before I took the step to study a degree in Art, I did various related courses, such as Production Arts, where I specialised in makeup artistry. Since then, I have blended the physical skills of makeup artistry and my innate creativity to pursue my career as a fine artist.

I won the PJ Crook Arts Award for my degree show work  in 2019. I have exhibited as part of a collective of artists called O.W.N. We successfully took part in a month-long residency at the Wilson Gallery in Cheltenham; Site Festival in Stroud; and Hardwick Gallery exhibition (2019). I have recently featured in the Mercury newspaper for my contribution to a local art project highlighting life in lockdown.


Maike Nielsen -
Maike Nielsen was born in Hamburg, Germany.

At the age of 6 she surprised her parents by telling them she wanted to be a painter and live in England. Her parents insisted she learn a different profession first and so Maike spent many years in engineering, travelling the world. She always kept painting. 10 years ago, Maike finally moved to Cheltenham where she obtained her Masters in Fine Art. 
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Maike works primarily in acrylics, ink and mixed media. Built of many transparent layers, her atmospheric seascapes and landscapes question our relationship with memory and reflect the beautiful time when day seeps into night.