The paintings I have been making recently are a visual diagram of how I think and process information. My experience of time and space is full of interruptions, chaotic shifts, and disorderly or awkward moments. As a mother raising two kids, I have learned to pivot, be flexible, and be alright with not always having the answers. My paintings reflect these moments. Nothing goes as planned. In my paintings, the surfaces are never planned but rather constructed with shapes, figures, or forms. I start with a section of an artwork from history that triggers a feeling, or I might see a mundane object, a dying plant or a photograph that sparks a memory or references time.

Tanner Simon investigates the absurdity of meaning and implicit trust in authority, confronting the very foundation of language and symbolism. He makes monumental paintings the size of Jacques-Louis David’s Napoleon Crossing the Alps, manipulating the relationship between imagery and larger-than-life scale. Directly addressing the deficiencies of acrylic and house paint used in contemporary painting, he pushes the modern limitations of oil paint by achieving matte, flat surfaces through a unique process, building thick layers of semi-transparent, solid-colour glazes.

Sara Purves is an artist from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. She was a Fine Art major at the Claude Watson School for the Arts, and later graduated from the Environmental Design programme at the Ontario College of Art and Design. After a career as a graphic designer, Purves picked up the paintbrush again and has since sold hundreds of works of art, now all in homes across the country.

Cesar Mammadov is a painter from Azerbaijan whose work is steered by a line from a Vladimir Nabokov poem: “I love this life with a frenzy of love...”

Anya Mokhova is a contemporary artist based in London. She was born in the Urals region, where she spent summers in a village, listening to folk stories of magic in local mountains, and where everyday reality intertwined with local myths.

London based Nolan Price has an art practice that incorporates printmaking and ceramics. Five years in Japan brought new influences to bear in his work, both in terms of aesthetics and context, with traditional forms of Japanese pottery, such as the tea bowl, often being recalled. Previously his practice was purely sculptural, but exposure to those traditional vessel forms in Japan, both in wicker and in ceramics, drew him to reconsider the utilitarian and to see the sculptural within.

After studying fine art, Mary Rodriguez pursued a career in the mental health field, but fifteen years ago she “found her Muse again” and returned to her art practice.

Cristine Balarine is a Brazilian artist and architect based in Abu Dhabi. With a Master’s degree in Architecture from The Bartlett, University College London, and a background in Florentine Renaissance art history, Balarine’s large-scale abstract compositions seeks to rebel from the rigour and ultra-rationalisation of her daily architectural practices.

Gregory Evans is an artist based in the Mayenne region of France. He was born in the UK and raised in Los Angeles before settling in France 15 years ago, and has since exhibited in both California and France. His influences are wide, ranging from Goya, Cézanne, Schiele, the late Renaissance Italian mannerists, through to the hippie, punk, surfing and skateboarding scenes he participated in while living in the US.

Rajul Shah is an international artist working between the US and Singapore. While she is influenced by Asian styles and philosophies, having lived in Asia for several years, the intent of her work also draws from her previous career in healthcare, with her interest in the human condition, spirituality, and healing, continuing through her art.

Sonia Redfern is a New York City-based painter exploring landscapes, at times with astronomical elements, painted on reclaimed fabrics. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Redfern moved to Arizona to pursue an undergraduate degree in astrophysics, though her concentration eventually pivoted to the visual arts. While she remained enamoured with astronomy and considered a career in the field, she found a deeper sense of fulfilment in her visual arts practice. Redfern continues to bring her curiosity about the world from science into her artwork.

Cher Pruys is a self-taught Canadian artist whose subject matter ranges from apples to airplanes. Finding beauty in mundane subjects, her hyperealist style evolved from pencil and charcoal to oils, and now her preferred mediums are acrylic, gouache and watercolour.

New York artist Ailyn Lee creates multimedia sculptures, installations and short films that offer surreal spaces of comfort and wonder. Lee’s practice is inspired by her experience coping with chronic insomnia and anxiety. She says: “To escape these chaotic feelings, I began to dream up surreal, theatrical situations that made me feel comfortable, safe, and secure.”

Shelby Little is an artist from New Orleans, Louisiana, living in Athens, Georgia. Working with acrylics, oils, and gold leaf on canvas, her paintings weave together inspiration from memories, dreams, and ancient mythology.

Kirsty is an abstract painter who lives and works in Glasgow, Scotland. As a classically-trained musician, she hears the many layers of texture and nuance contained in a piece of music and transmits that emotion and dynamism into abstract art.

Constance Eyre is a British artist based in Phuket, Thailand. Her canvases bring together textiles and paint, and she is known for her large embroidered canvases which take inspiration from the world outside the home: “The flowers that were blooming as spring began, the weather patterns, always looking for the uplifting moments to pour into my creations.”

Toronto-based Dina Torrans has been working as a multimedia artist for over 30 years. Her award-winning artwork has been exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions and is included in many private and public collections.

Natalie Bradford graduated from Western Michigan University with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with an emphasis in print media.