Growth Spurt

Debbie Chapman

STATEMENT

I’ve always portrayed elements of what it means to be human in my artwork and this continues in my latest paintings. I’m exploring several interconnecting themes: the essence of humanity, the narratives we construct for ourselves, and the profound influence we exert on one another, as well as our remarkable planet and other organisms that we share it with. I paint as a way of understanding and to start conversations that might make people think and reflect, hopefully in a kinder, gentler, more responsible way. The paintings don’t have answers but they are a prompt to take some time for contemplation.

In my process I like to remain fluid and versatile allowing my paintings to evolve organically. Ai Wei Wei says, and I love it … “Art lurks in the obscure parts of ones inner mind”. My paintings are created using different mediums such as acrylic, oil, and hints of collage. The compositions are predominantly figuratively based even when they seem to veer toward abstraction. I combine organic shapes and brilliant blocks of colour, always looking for that harmonious balance between colour, imagery and the underlying message.

BIO

Debbie Chapman is a contemporary Irish artist working from a studio in West Dublin. She has been commissioned for public, corporate and personal collections. She has created large scale works for institutions such as The Hermitage Medical Centre, Waterford General Hospital, Dublin City Council and others. Just this year she worked on an artwork collaboration with U2’s Adam Clayton, for the “Elephant In The Room Project”.

She is also active in collaborative arts, having worked on projects with The National Youth Council of Ireland, Dublin Castle Community Outreach, The Heritage Council and The National Prison Service, exploring self expression through the arts.