“William Watson-West has now been painting professionally for over a decade. Having spent most of his life based in Yorkshire, he now works from his North London studio where he continues to produce evocative and engaging paintings.

William is increasingly driven by emotional struggles and his response to memories, nostalgia, love, and loss. Objectively, his paintings often appear vibrant, colourful, and uplifting, but the process behind them is heavily influenced by his vulnerabilities. William uses painting as a means of exploring his inner angst and as an outlet for something that he can’t express in words. He channels his feelings of frustration, happiness, and anguish, working spontaneously in moments of intense production, driven by raw emotions and pure impulse.

Whilst his paintings appeal on an aesthetic level, his hope is that viewers might relate in some way to the struggles we all face and often find difficult to talk about.

Formed from years of direct observation of daily life and landscape, his use of colour and shape has become almost instinctive, though he continues to challenge himself with less familiar palettes and composition. Reaching that state of mind where everything “just works,” however, is a deeply emotional and exhausting process.

On the surface, a painting might look like it has come together quickly, but the journey to getting there requires a great deal of time and energy. In essence, William is releasing a part of his inner self onto paper, board, or canvas.

Graduating from Edinburgh College of Art in 2011 with a BA in Printed Textiles William has exhibited extensively in the North of England. Previously shortlisted for the New Light Art Prize and the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, his work is held in various private collections both in the UK and internationally.”