Erin Rosalie Thomas is a painter and printmaker whose practice explores emotional nuance, body language, and facial expression as primary forms of communication. Her work focuses on hyper-zoomed perspectives of the human face and body, examining the subtle moments where emotion and expression converge. By isolating the face from its external context, Erin creates surreal, intimate compositions drawn from everyday actions and emotions. These cropped perspectives invite viewers to reconsider what might be overlooked with excessive visual information. She encourages a deeper engagement with the human experience, positioning the viewer in an unbounded encounter with another person’s inner world.
Erin works from photographs she takes – the experience of the model and how much time she spends with imagery informs each work. Her oil paintings incorporate needle-felted wool, a distinctive material choice that introduces tactility into the painted surface. This interplay between paint and textile challenges traditional boundaries between viewer and artwork; while painting is often perceived as untouchable, the wool elements create a sensory tension that can feel both inviting and unsettling. Alongside painting, her multidisciplinary practice also encompasses printmaking and charcoal drawing.
Erin Rosalie Thomas graduated with a BA in Fine Art from Kingston School of Art in 2020. She has since exhibited in solo and group exhibitions at venues 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.