Between Beauty and Discomfort: Luke Silva
Hector Campbell talks to the Margate-based artist about his London solo
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📽 Read Ahren Warner on Douglas Gordon’s recent exhibition at Gagosian here 📽
Ahead of his debut solo exhibition ‘Interface’ at Sherbet Green in East London, painter Luke Silva (b. 1999) sat down with curator and writer Hector Campbell about his new body of work, studying at Central Saint Martins, his enduring use of watercolour, wax mannequins, and the human condition.
Hector Campbell: In reference to your upcoming solo exhibition, certain canonical art historical influences have been mentioned (Dumas, Bowling, Tuymans), as well as inspiration from more obscure avenues such as the Japanese watercolour tradition of Kusôzu (depicting the gradual decay of a human body). Could you expand a little on some of these foundational influences on your practice?
Luke Silva: My practice is deeply influenced by the juxtaposition of beauty and discomfort. Artists such as Dumas, Bowling, and Tuymans have inspired me with the ability to blend softness with intensity, creating an unsettling beauty. That approach also resonates with the Japanese Kusôzu tradition, which depicts decay with an almost haunting grace. These influences guide me in my use of watercolour to explore the delicate balance between the grotesque and the beautiful, allowing for a nuanced dialogue with and within the paintings.
HC: You consistently work from found images for visual reference, including those sourced from films and video games, as well as some more pertinent to your own life and lived experience. What draws you to particular imagery? Do you have a selection process that informs your choice of references?
LS: My choice of images is driven by a desire to infuse familiar visuals with new narratives. I am keen to avoid direct representation; to instead create space for individual interpretation and reflection. Inspiration often comes from the digital realm or my personal experiences, blending the two to reflect how virtual and physical spaces intersect and inform our lives. This approach allows me to explore the complexity of the human experience, and I hope my visual references give space to others looking to contemplate their own challenges.
HC: Over the past few years, certain motifs or situations continue to recur throughout your paintings, most prominently perhaps these raging fires invariably viewed through windows or reflected in car wing mirrors. What keeps you coming back to these flaming scenes?
LS: The recurring use of fire imagery in my practice is deeply personal and rooted in significant family trauma. We lost our home in the Portuguese forest fires of 2017, which marked a pivotal moment in my life and intertwined with the mental health challenges faced by my loved ones. These paintings are not only reflections of past events, but also evolve into a means for me to explore broader themes of loss, resilience, and transformation, thus pushing the boundaries of my artistic expression.
HC: Similarly, your Object Paintings series has been a constant of your practice for a while now, with seemingly innocuous ceramic ornaments serving as stand-ins for our fragile human state. Could you expand further on the conceptual underpinnings of that ongoing preoccupation?
LS: The Object Paintings series reflects on the fragility and complexity of the human condition through the metaphor of ornaments. These objects, particularly highlighted through paintings featured in my recent exhibition at Gerber & Stauffer Fine Arts, Zurich, serve as vessels through which I can explore themes of emptiness, manipulation and perception, drawing from further personal experiences within my family. The series allows me to delve into the nuanced, complex layers of human emotions and relationships, using the physical and symbolic aspects of these objects to navigate and articulate deeper psychological landscapes. This interest in my work has also expanded out in new directions in my most recent paintings, with fragments of objects such as candlesticks and chandeliers offering narrative potential beyond my own connections to the world, working in near-storyboarding fashion to suggest fractured, layered events, while ultimately remaining open to the viewer’s interpretation.
HC: Across the work, there’s this keen awareness of the intended viewer, considering their physical point of view in relation to the paintings, but also demonstrating an avoidance of any didactic or narrative reading of the work. How important is it to you to consider the audience your artworks might have, and their interpretation of your paintings?
LS: Consideration of the viewer’s engagement is pivotal in my artistic process. I meticulously consider composition and openly embrace the diversity of interpretations my work may provoke. My aim is for each painting to offer multiple layers of meaning, inviting viewers to delve deeper and derive their own narratives. I hope that this approach ultimately ensures a dynamic interaction with my art, encouraging viewers to engage in dialogue both with the paintings and also within themselves. An element of discovery, as seen in paintings such as Prosthetic Leg (2024), attempts to enrich the viewer’s experience and create a collaborative journey of exploration.
HC: And in regards to the medium itself, your early experiments with art as a teenager brought you to watercolour, which is still your preferred medium today. What was your exposure to art growing up?
LS: Early on, my mother’s passion for photography and my father’s building and construction skills exposed me to the many diverse forms of art and artistry. The cultural riches of London, treasures such as those housed at the British Museum or the National Gallery, were gifts to my curious, developing mind. Art quickly became my voice, allowing me to overcome social anxieties by connecting with others through my creations. As my relationship with art has matured, I am increasingly aware of how those early experiences at museums and my initial discovery of watercolour helped lay the foundations for my lifelong artistic journey.
HC: You completed your BA in Fine Art at London’s Central Saint Martin in 2021. How was your experience of arts education? And how did your practice develop during your time at CSM?
LS: Studying at CSM was an extraordinary chapter in my life, one marked by significant growth and adaptation, especially during and after the unexpected challenges brought on by the pandemic. Such disruption propelled me to establish an independent practice earlier than anticipated, ultimately preparing me for the professional world. While initially swayed by the prestige of oil paint, I soon recognised the unique voice watercolour gave me. Additionally, the guidance of influential artists through online talks was instrumental in refining my ability to articulate complex themes in my work, such as mental health, which has become a conceptual cornerstone of my practice.
HC: Post-graduation, you have maintained a studio in Margate whilst dividing your time between London and the coastal town. How has it been since moving there?
LS: Margate offers me an invigorating blend of affordability and artistic community, enabling me to dedicate myself fully to my practice. The town’s proximity to London ensures I am still a part of the wider art scene, while being on the coast allows me to enjoy the creative expansiveness that my studio in Margate affords. These dualities fuel my life and my work, allowing me to draw from a diverse range of experiences and influences.
HC: In your most recent body of work, produced for your upcoming debut solo exhibition at Sherbet Green, wax mannequins and prostheses are a new and recurring subject matter. What led to the investigation of these humanoid representations?
LS: Those recent depictions of wax mannequins and prostheses stem from the personal challenge I face interpreting human emotions, due to my mild autism. These human figures act as a bridge, allowing me to investigate and express human likeness, expressions and emotion from a different perspective. The Uncanny Valley effect they evoke—simultaneously familiar and yet alien—mirrors my own experience of social interaction.
HC: Finally, as we approach the solo exhibition, is there anything else you would like to say in your own words about the paintings you will be exhibiting? Or your aims and ambitions for the exhibition?
LS: I’m excited thinking about the body of work I will be presenting. These paintings are the culmination of my recent explorations and therefore embody a journey through the human condition and its contrasting emotions. My aim is to invite viewers into a dialogue, not just with the paintings but also with their own experiences, emotions and perceptions. This exhibition represents a significant milestone in my artistic journey, and I hope it sparks reflection, conversation and a deeper understanding of the themes I weave throughout my practice.
‘Interface’ continues at Sherbet Green in Bethnal Green until May 25th.
