A painting from Sara Pope - the first British female artist in over 70 years to have an artwork accepted into the Vatican collection.

Best known for her bold, seductive paintings of lips, Sara's creative process begins by photographing the made-up and luscious lips of her studio models. From this she breaks down the images into minimal forms that are painted onto wood panels.

Her painting process involves overlaying thin layers of oil-diluted paint, blending and smoothing the colours extensively at every stage, often with the original lipstick. In creating this smooth painterly finish, the artist emulates the stylistic slickness of advertising. The result is glossy, perfect and irresistible.

Sara's work is influenced by her previous career in the fashion industry as a shoe designer (for brands such as Paul Smith) and as a designer and art director for several fashion magazines. Inspired by these experiences, her work aims to capture the sensuality and seductive power conveyed by the lips and mouth whilst also raising questions on perceived beauty and the rise of image perfectionism.

Accolades

Sara Pope’s work has been shown in numerous exhibitions and art fairs across London and internationally, including Next Street Gallery, Paris, The Saatchi Gallery, London, and The London Original Print Fair at the Royal Academy of Arts. Sara is also the first British female artist in over 70 years to have a piece of work accepted into the Vatican collection.