About the artist
My artistic career so far
My name is Aston Fessey and I am a young contemporary British artist, I am based in Hadleigh, Essex. I graduated from the University of Lincoln in 2023 and since then have been working as an artist building my portfolio and platform. I work primarily in oil paints, creating blends of abstract portraiture and abstract landscapes as well as more traditional drawings and paintings of local landscapes. My art changed significantly in 2022 after I was in a car crash, the resulting injuries stopping me from my traditional application of paint. As a result, I had to change my approach to art. I learnt gestural painting as it was manageable in short sessions of creation, utilising brushstrokes, mark-making and paint application to create this new style.
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My focus and subject matter also changed. I began to vent personal frustrations of my pain through my art, creating grotesque and horror inducing self-portraits. These became a visual language of my physical and mental health issues and learning how the two intertwine, developing the paintings to represent raw emotions, pain and self-representation. To do this I experimented with different mediums, taking influence from the likes of Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, George Condo and the art movements of Neo-expressionism, Cubism, Impressionism and Abstract Expressionism.
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I currently create artworks in three unique styles. I paint landscapes and portraits with impressionist techniques and a playful application of colour. I also produced intricate pen drawings of landscapes, especially when there is a historical site, such as St. Paul's Cathedral, in shot. My third style is my heavily abstract works, that are in a constant evolution of new experimental techniques, these loose paintings are the most rewarding to create.​
Artist Statement
Aston is a conceptual painter focusing on physical and mental health, investigating the stigma surrounding it. Aston’s current work explores the duality between physical pain and mental health issues, exploring how they feed into each other, taken from his personal experiences since being in a car crash last year. Influenced by Neo-expressionism, Cubism and Abstract Expressionism, Aston uses expressive painting techniques to communicate to a wide audience, using minimalistic expressions at a large scale to communicate taboos of trauma and pain with the audience. His work is universally readable to encourage an open and honest conversation about physical and mental health.
A selection of my favourite works
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Current happenings
I currently have a solo exhibition at The Fishermen's Chapel, Leigh-on-Sea, Southend-on-Sea, Essex - more information can be found on the exhibition tab. Seperate to this, I am continuing to expand my portfolio and explore new techniques and movements. I'm always wanting to push the boundaries of what my work can do.
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Click the links below to see more.