Nina Baxter
Bio
Born in London (1992), Nina Baxter received a BA in Art History from the Courtauld Institute of Art and currently lives and works in London. Her paintings have been exhibited and collected internationally, as well as featured in publications such as Art Maze Mag and Create! Magazine. After years devoted to abstract forms and geometric shapes, Baxter’s current work celebrates a return to figurative painting and intimate subjects. Highlighting everyday moments of quiet euphoria, the paintings become meditations on the artist’s day to day thoughts, feelings, struggles, and pleasures. Exploring relationships between friends; emotional connections and sexual tension between lovers; the relationship the artist has with herself; and, importantly, the ever-evolving relationship with Painting.
Could you tell us a little more about your background and how you began creating art?
I grew up in Barnes, South-West London. When I was young, I wanted to be a ballet dancer and I always loved drawing. It was a few years later, at secondary school, that I remember really falling in love with painting. We still have a couple of the paintings I made in school at this time, up on the walls in my family home. I already knew then that I wanted to be an artist, but particularly that I wanted to paint.
What does your art aim to say to its viewers?
Have fun. Slow down. Don’t be afraid to love.
Can you tell us about the process of creating your work? What is your daily routine when working?
I don’t tend to keep to a daily routine other than get up, have coffee, breakfast, and go… nothing gets done before this. I like to work on a few paintings at a time, but if I’m really involved in one, or working on a deadline, I can spend several days at a time focused on one piece. My studio is right by Kensington Gardens, so now my daily routine involves an afternoon walk around the park, so that I make sure I take a short break and come back to whatever I’m working on with fresh eyes.
What is the essential element in your art?
Pleasure.
In your opinion, what role does the artist have in society?
An artist can have many roles in society, some changeable, some constant. Sometimes an artist can be an essential social or political critic or commentator. Another artist may uplift others by choosing to celebrate joy and beauty. Whatever role a particular artist fulfils, there will always be a need for art and artists in society.
