Erin Rosalie Thomas is a painter and printmaker whose practice explores emotional nuance, body language and facial expression through themes of neurodivergence and femininity. Working primarily with figurative painting, her work focuses on hyper-zoomed perspectives of the human face, examining the subtle moments where emotion and expression converge. By isolating the face from its external context, Erin invites viewers to project their own emotional interpretations, highlighting how facial expression is read, misread and emotionally understood.
Working from photographs she takes, Erin seeks out moments that position themselves between both fleeting and posed. Erin is best known for her oil paintings incorporating needle-felted wool elements. This juxtaposition of materials challenges traditional boundaries between viewer and artwork; while a painting is positioned as an untouchable object, the wool introduces a tactility that acts as a sensory invitation or aversion.
Erin Rosalie Thomas graduated with a BA in Fine Art from Kingston School of Art in 2020. She has since exhibited in galleries including Sarah Wiseman Gallery and Sewell Centre Gallery. In 2024, she was awarded the ronapainting Prize at the Oxford Art Society Open Exhibition. She is the founder of the artist critique group Get Your Crit Together, a member of the Oxford Printmaker Co-operative, and an associate artist at Magdalen Road Studios.