Harriet Gillett’s work playfully circulates around themes of identity, surveillance, and our relationship with myths and nature. Interested in the changeable nature of storytelling and supposed ‘truths', she works from a mixture of observational drawing and memory, blending past, present and the imagined to create new narratives which celebrate the in-between. Her influences range from literary to art historical references, looking to marry archaic myths and folklore with the contemporary and visually blur the lines between memory and reality. Everyday situations are infused with elements of surrealism and fantasy, resulting in composite landscapes that are dream-like in their aesthetic.

Whilst imagery of live gigs and night life culture reflects a nostalgia for shared spaces and more primal social rituals, animals have become symbols of the misrepresented ‘other’ and her wish to mend a fractured relationship with nature. She employs a variety of mediums and processes, often bringing together seemingly juxtaposing materials and colours, such as layering murky oil over acidic spray paint to reflect this tension visually. Harriet holds a BA in English Literature from Edinburgh University and received her Graduate Diploma in Fine Art from City and Guilds of London Arts School in 2020 with a focus on painting.

Since graduating she was shortlisted for the Ingram prize and has exhibited her work across London and online, including Mall Galleries and Blue Shop Cottage. Upcoming shows include the City and Guilds Degree show at Mall Galleries and ‘Emergence’ at the Rise Art Gallery in Soho.