Olivia Mansfield

Born in 1988, Olivia Mansfield is an abstract painter whose works are figments of fantastical, imaginary worlds. Her paintings exist as creative portals to fragmented realms which allude to and echo our own existence.

Olivia Mansfield’s Education and Early Career

Olivia studied for a Foundation Diploma in Fine Art at the Byam Shaw School of Art (Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London) before completing a BA (Hons) in Fine Art Practice from Goldsmiths, University of London. Olivia worked in London for several years after graduating before moving back to her hometown, Milton Keynes, to start a family. Olivia has exhibited her work in various online and physical groups and solo shows, most of which have taken place since the beginning of 2021.

Style and Practice

In Olivia's earlier works, ethereal visions approach you with beguiling, unravelling narratives, bringing together splayed and mystical perceptions of a familiar yet fictional place. She draws from classical and historical painting, iconography, theology, culture, religion, ritual and symbolism. Themes of myth, legend and folklore intertwine vividly with celestial, botanical, animalistic, almost sci-fi-like imagery. Olivia's recent practice has shifted to explore more figurative, bodily imagery. These beings move, morph, cradle, and caress within the abstract structures of her gestural landscapes. Olivia's later works explore the human condition, our relationships, strengths and weaknesses, and our almost palpable vulnerability within an ever-changing environment.