Rebecca Hardaker
Inside the Studio: A Conversation with Rebecca Hardaker
Ahead of her solo exhibition at The Art Office Gallery, we visited Rebecca Hardaker in her London studio to talk about her practice and the inspirations behind her work.
Rebecca Hardaker is a contemporary artist whose process is deeply rooted in touch and intuition. Painting directly with her hands, she creates abstract expressionist works that carry a striking sense of depth, emotion, and immediacy. Her paintings often explore themes of memory, feeling, and the fluid boundary between drawing and painting, resulting in pieces that feel both spontaneous and considered.
The large-scale works featured in the exhibition are pure, physical expressions of emotion, captured in the moment of their making. Through sweeping gestures and uncensored mark-making, Rebecca constructs dynamic compositions that invite the viewer’s eye to travel across the canvas - following a narrative that unfolds in movement, rhythm and form.
Some of the works draw inspiration from nature, such as the vivid poppy valleys of California, while others weave in fragments of text borrowed from poetry and literature. Words like “trust me” and “find me” appear subtly within the paint - quiet reminders of the everyday acts of trust and self-discovery that shape our lives.
Can you tell us a bit about the title of the show “It’s not what you see, it’s what you see in it” and how it resonates with your work?
The title for the show comes from a quote from the landscape designer Piet Oudolf. “It’s not what you see, it’s what you see in it” resonated with me as it embodies all that I feel you should feel when looking at art. My hope is that like Piet’s gardens, the viewer will continuously be drawn in and find within each painting something that uniquely speaks to them.
Some of your paintings incorporate text - what messages can the viewer find in the paintings?
One of the paintings featured includes the title of the show. I created this painting in honour of Piet Oudolf, as reading those words has truly enlightened my practice. Two of the paintings in the show have the words ‘trust me’ and ‘find me’. When writing these words on to the canvas, I was speaking to myself - a reminder that day to day we are constantly trusting ourselves and finding ourselves. Finally there is Venus at feast no.3 - this painting features annotations of spontaneous thoughts in the moment.
Are there any particular memories or emotions you are depicting in these works?
These paintings are purely expressions of emotions felt in the time when they were created. There is physicality to the work, which takes over when they are created, and a flow of uncensored mark making.
When you create a new painting, do you already have an idea of the final piece in mind or does it come during the painting process?
I never know what the final painting will look like when I start a new work. Spending time with the painting begins to reveal the direction it is going in. When I complete a work there is a gut feeling that makes me stop. Sometimes it can happen abruptly and completely catch me off guard.
Do you have a favourite from this series and why?
No, each one is representative of a moment in time and when I look at them I remember how I was feeling when I created them. They are all so special to me and I am honoured that The Art Office want to exhibit them in a solo show.
Other Articles
Thinking about introducing art into your space?
From homes to workplaces to social spaces, art has the power to shift how environments are seen, felt and remembered.
If you’re shaping a space and exploring the role art could play, we’d love to hear from you.
