Amidst a growing artistic reputation, a scholarship from the Royal Academy, an invitation to study at the prestigious Prado museum, Madrid Jake Wood-Evans is currently enjoying increasing acclaim for his work. Here we take a closer look at the hugely talented artist.
Jake Wood-Evans is part of a growing number of emerging contemporary painters in the commercial artworld who, via their work and their artistic output, seem to be rebuffing the ‘factory-made’ and the ‘mass-produced’, instead choosing to go back-to-basics to simply produce exceptional quality artwork that’s constructed and executed with the patience and effort that is expected from a fine artist.
Jake is classically trained following his Fine Art degree from Falmouth University, where he was awarded his scholarship from the Royal Academy for classical study at the Prado museum, as well as winning the accolade of ‘Free Range’ Most Promising Graduate.
Jake’s work mixes the two worlds of classical and contemporary art. His oil paintings range from small, sensitive studies to large scale, epic canvasses. With his loose, instinctive use of paint, he creates dark, ethereal works, which capture imaginations, and provoke emotions, whilst at the same time combine to be both unsettling and beautiful.
This heavy incorporation of classical painting grounds his work in tradition, but his own personal application, touch and very much his use of colour, lend each of his works a very contemporary feel. The best example of this is seen the hugely popular Monarchy and in his ‘street art series’ which blends the elegantly painted Velazquez studies with spray paint.
Jake, and his particular style of work, follows in the freshly laid footsteps of artists such as Charming Baker and Zachary Walsh and Dave White. There is definitely a trend in contemporary art that is swiftly moving towards very well produced, skilled, artworks; a shift undoubtedly fuelled by the economic downturn over the past few years. Quality is always in demand and when you can pick up an original Wood-Evans for no more than £1500 or a print for a few hundred, you could say he is very undervalued at current.
Jake has been hard at work in his studio for past few months as he gears up for his forthcoming debut solo exhibition.
If you are interested in Jake Wood-Evans and would like further information of available works or to enquire about other works and artist’s we have in the gallery please call +44 (0)20 7240 7909 or email soho@artrepublic.com
