Artist profile
Emilie
Maguin
Emilie Maguin is a French visual artist working on Whadjuk Noongar Country. She acquired her artistic training in Aix-en-Provence, and her influences include Matisse, Hockney, Vanessa Bell, Grayson Perry , European Pop Culture, decorative textiles and Naive Art. She graduated with a Masters of Art History from the University of St Andrews , Scotland. Emilie's work is bold and playful with a focus on strong colour and pattern. Symbolism and storytelling are the heart of each composition where layers of heavy acrylics, oil pastels and ink build up the textural plane of the canvas, adding to the visual interest and tactility of the paintings.
In 2022, she was a finalist in the portrait category in the Bluethumb Art Prize, with her piece "This is not the dress rehearsal". Emilie's works have been exhibited at the Affordable Art Fair Melbourne and the Affordable Art Fair Sydney in 2022 and 2023.
She is represented by the Toowoomba Gallery in Queensland, Jumbled in New South Wales and the White Brick Gallery in Perth, Western Australia.
Emilie’s pieces live in collections all over Australia, as well as in the U.K, Switzerland, France and Japan.
Career Highlights
1. Finalist in the Bluethumb Art Prize 2022
2. Group exhibitions with the Toowoomba Gallery and the White Brick Gallery
3. Exhibiting at the Affordable Art Fair Melbourne and The Affordable Art Fair Sydney with Jumbled
Artist Interview
What medium do you work with, and why have you chosen them?
All pieces are mixed media; heavy body acrylics usually go on first, then ink and oil glazes. Finally I like to layer on oil stick and pastels. Something about dragging a crayon on canvas catapults me back to childhood and that way of thinking about a picture. I enjoy the contrast offered by all of the media, and the interplay of the different textures.
How does your artwork get from initial concept to exhibition stage?
My work tends to unfold as I go. I get the seed of an idea and I start. Usually it's a specific pattern combination, or something I've been reading about. I work on several pieces at once so that I end up with a small collection. The subject matter of my paintings follow the various elements and events that enter my day to day life. I am very driven by colour.
Can you tell us a little more about your creative working environment/studio?
I work from my home studio. It is the only room in the house with a double aspect and so the light is always lovely. My 5 year old son loves to come in and look at all my paints. I take his feedback very seriously because children are wonderfully honest and have an innate sense of what works.
