A Caña and a sardine in the morning

ARTIST BIO
THEO BARDSLEY

Theo Bardsley is a young rising figurative painter from London whose large-scale portraits depict everyday scenes of past and present worlds. From his degree in History of Art, Theo draws from a plethora of influence from the art historical canon. Coined ‘immortalising the Halcyon days of socialising’ by journalist Scarlett Baker, Theo’s paintings are a collection of historical figures and events, anecdotes and details of everyday life.

Taking inspiration from his own life, Theo’s work merges the everyday with the historical, bridging the gap between past and present and creating paradoxes within the narrative. These conflicts within the works are heightened by Theo’s process of painting numerous layers and variations of each work, thus often two different paintings come together, both fragmented and harmonious. Little by little, the overlooked becomes apparent and his paintings come to life leaving visual clues and symbols for the viewer to piece together.

The vibrant depiction of everyday life in Theo’s painting transports us to the busy streets and bustling bars getting lost for a moment in the sound of jazz playing, the smoke of cigarettes and the surprise of unexpected encounters leaving a sense of nostalgia of distant memories in the viewer.

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Education | BA Art History, University of Manchester

Featured | How Theo Bardsley’s portraits immortalise the halcyon days of socialising by Scarlett Baker, Checkout Mangazine, 2020

Group Exhibitions | Yac selects (London), 2021; Art city works (London), 2021; ‘Eternity’ (London), 2020; Galerie rompone (Cologne), 2020