The Carnival Series

‘Carnival Prizes’, the first oil painting in the Carnival series, was on display at the Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition (22nd September 2021 – 2nd January 2022). 

The Carnival series was inspired by my sketchbook drawings over the summer of 2020. After coming out of lockdown, I began meeting friends at the park, and fun fairs were the first signs of life to me. They symbolised festivities, social engagement, and entertainment, and evoked nostalgia and a sense of lost youth. It also made me think about the excitement that pulls you into a fun fair vs the reality of what it offers. The naïve wonder of a fun fair viewed through the eyes of a child, and how it appears shiny and new, differs vastly from the reality it represents. Looking at it now through adult eyes, the flaws are visible, and the polish has gone. I wanted to explore the reality vs the perception of this iconic pastime.