The rectangle has been a continued presence within Rose Davey’s practice for the last ten years, along with a relentless search towards ideal colour combinations. Colours are meticulously hand-mixed by the artist and used to either project or recede the rectangle from the surface: one colour covers the surface of the panel, while the second is painted on top, acting as a frame. The chosen hues are often close in tone and reverberate off one another, creating both a visual illusion and calming harmony. Experimenting further with colour association, Davey’s works are often comprised of more than one single painting, from traditional diptychs to multi-panelled arrangements. Painted on plywood, colour reveals the grain of the support itself, which becomes an integral part of her compositions.
Rose Davey graduated from the MFA Painting course at Slade School of Fine Art in 2010, after completing joint honours in Fine Art and Art History at The University of Edinburgh and Edinburgh College of Art in 2007. Rose was appointed Honorary Research Associate in Slade Graduate Painting from 2016 -2017. Recent exhibitions include Studio Works: Slade2Sing, The Studio at Thomson, Singapore; The Painting Parade, Glasgow, Collaboration between LKL and Glasgow School of Art; The Nomenclature of Colours, Slade Research Centre, Slade School of Fine Art, Sculpture Open RWA, Bristol; Collaborators 5,Roaming ROOM, London; Something about Failure with Tessa Whitehead, Austin Forum, London; Creekside Open, selected by Lisa Milroy, APT Gallery; Between the Lines,with Toni Davey, Beardsmore Gallery, London. Rose also curates with artist collective Leanda Kate Louise of which she is a co-founder.