'Location is used as a starting point for all my work. Through walking, I absorb and document places from busy cities to remote landscapes. I enjoy being a Flâneur, exploring concepts of identity, time and space. I believe the more I revisit a place, the further it gets ingrained subconsciously.
Back in the studio, I use surfaces and memories collected from my work on location as a starting point to explore further possibilities. Often, paintings end up looking far removed from their source drawings as the experience has become personalised, allowing the paint to take its own path.'
Iona Roberts
Iona Roberts brings unbridled energy, depth and discipline to drawing and painting. Her distinctive mark making in direct response to city and landscape is invigorating, driven by experimentation with mixed media and immersion in her chosen environment. ‘Walking and working in situ’ Iona documents the passing of time in a location, layering experience and memory to reframe the subject. Bold, delicate and intense marks articulate Iona's powers of observation and devotion to her craft, forging a path as one of the most exciting artists of her generation.
Currently based in Glasgow, Iona Roberts graduated from Edinburgh College of Art with a First Class Honours in Fine Art Painting (2015) and the Royal Drawing School Postgraduate Programme in 2016. Iona was awarded the Trustees' Prize at the Royal Drawing School 2015-16 end of year exhibition, the Stevenston Painting Award at the Royal Scottish Academy New Contemporaries Exhibition (2016), the Royal Drawing School Pignano residency (2017) and the Richard Ford Award residency to Madrid at the Prado (2017).