Meet Lily Lewis
Decorated with bold, graphic paintings in fresh colour palettes, Lily Lewis’ airy London apartment is an interior masterpiece, complete with leafy, tropical florals and a statement wooden tiger taking centre stage. Almost all of the art on display is her own work- from the moody, self-portrait based on a selfie in the mirror to a graphic giant caterpillar with the face of a tiger. We were lucky enough to spend a morning with Lily and, of course, her excitable dog Betty, a beautiful pomeranian with a surprising ability to sit still and pose for photographs.
Firstly, we’d like to say we are huge fans of your work and your wonderful use of colour! What made you take the leap to pursue art as a fulltime career?
Thank you very much, it was such a joy to have you in my home and introduce you to my world. I’ve always made, painted and written things my whole life, so I suppose it was inevitable that I’d end up doing it full time. I’m very lucky that I have a great support system and have been encouraged to keep going. Sometimes it’s tough but it’s always glorious and I couldn’t do anything else.
Lapis Taffeta Elizabeth Dress
You have a unique talent for matching geometric backdrops with expressive, lifelike portraits, which we love. How has your style evolved over the years? At what point did you create this signature look?
I’m actually self taught so I can’t begin to explain how much my work has evolved, and continues to. Each project I choose to research and develop has different ways and mediums it could be expressed and explored, and it’s a constant journey of finding them out.
Tell us a little more about the techniques you use and your creative process, from inspiration through to end result.
I’m a conceptual artist so I usually have an idea, then spend months researching and developing and writing about it. From that first idea a visual language will appear and present itself to me, and after that I run technically on instinct.
Red Taffeta Sweetheart Rah Rah Dress
What advice would you give to somebody selecting a piece of art for their home?
Follow where your eyes long to look. If your eyes can look at a piece of art and be both calmed and excited then it’s done something to your brain that’s good for it. But also do find out as much as you can about a work of art, the artist and the stories of both, things open themselves up to you the more you know about them.
What are your top tricks for combining unexpected colours, both in paintings and in fashion?
I don’t think I’d tell anyone what to wear or how, but again trust your eye! Colours are vibrations of particles hitting your eye at different frequencies. Like musical notes on the ear. The ones that go together or clash beautifully you’ll feel that. Unless you’re colourblind or tone deaf in which case do whatever looks right to you!
Painted Meadow Cecille Dress
Which Pink City Prints pieces will you have on repeat this Winter and how will you be styling them?
I love the intricacy of the print pieces and the richness of the silks. I’ll probably be wearing them under multiple layers of jackets and duvets as my studio is freezing. But I’ll be warmer in my bones knowing I’ve got them underneath.
We’d love to see more of your work - do you have any current or upcoming exhibitions we can find you at?
I'm currently working on a show at Bowman Gallery in March with the curator MC Llamas, and another in Switzerland later next year. I'll also be performing poetry in various locations before Christmas too.
