Artist

Venetia Berry

Venetia Berry is a London-based artist who trained at The Charles Cecil School in Florence, followed by The Leith School in Edinburgh and then The Royal Drawing School, London. An accomplished oil painter and portrait artist, she also creates work that is whimsical and dream-like. With a particular interest in the female nude, she paints the figure through an abstracted lens, simplifying the form using pure line, or reduced mark-making.

 

Read more

Venetia's Style

Venetia's work seeks to reverse the male gaze by challenging the archetypical sexualised female nude. Her distorted and elongated forms play with feelings of illusion and trickery. There is an ambiguity to her work which invites the viewer's imagination and own interpretation. 

Watch Venetia's video feature with House & Garden to step inside her studio, learn about her influences and see her process. 

If you are interested to find out more about Venetia's available oil paintings or would like to discuss a bespoke portrait commission, please get in touch.

Photography by Tara Juno Rowse

"I want my work to convey an essence of femininity within its curves and abstract shapes. When making my work, it is important to me to think of the everywoman, transcending race and size, creating something that is inclusive to all." - Venetia Berry

Shop by Collection

July Drop 2023

""The wild strawberries that start to ripen during early summer gave name to June's full moon". Within these works I wanted to capture the essence of the beginning of summer, long evenings and long days ahead, there is something so romantic and nostalgic about this notion. I wanted to reflect the feeling of freedom that comes from immersing your body in water and then allowing the water droplets to dry naturally on your skin as the sun moves lower in the sky, allowing the moon to take its place. As a lover of colour I enjoy creating these landscapes that we can all easily imagine, but somehow there is something other wordly to them and they feel just somehow out of our reach." - Venetia Berry, Strawberry Moon Series

Moon Gazers

"Within these works I wanted to create a new, ethereal world. A place that we can all recognise and imagine, however, there is something about it that feels out of reach and unworldly. I have been really enjoying the discovery of this planet, which feels very calm, dreamlike and lethargic.

I can also feel the influence of the bodies I saw everywhere in paintings in Rome coming out in my work. I was very inspired by the current Cezanne exhibition at the Tate Modern, his bathers have always spoken to me. They feel so intimate but yet consentual. As a viewer, you aren't made to feel unwelcome, but more act as an extension to the painting. You aren't quite being invited in but you don't feel like you shouldn't be observing. It is important for me to create work based on female nudes that doesn't feel creepy (for want of a better word), but feels celebratory of the female form. A world just out of the viewers grasp." - Venetia Berry, Moon Gazers

Drop 5 - Winter 2022

"I am fascinated by the notion of gut feelings and instinct, or inklings in general, but particularly when it comes to creating, why and how the mind decides to choose a colour or a shape, not stopping to question the decision until after it has been made. I love this part of creating as it invites an aspect of chance within the work, allowing the paint to take on a life of its own, something that is harder to control.

When creating these works I wanted to echo the colours in Rome, from the pastels of the frescoes and the more saturated walls and doors, to the intense blue of the Roman sky. I found an abundance of inspiration from walking around the city, soaking up its rich history. I have felt such an intense awareness of time being in Rome, there being constant reminders of the people who came before us and the marks they left everywhere you look. I could practically feel the time slipping through my fingers. It also felt incredibly daunting creating work in a city overflowing with beauty and the wonders of the world. I struggled at the beginning of my time in Rome to create anything, I felt full of inspiration but the quantity and quality of beauty surrounding me was overwhelming and really made me question what I wanted to put out into the world, creatively. There was a huge trial and error phase to this series (a lot ended up in the bin), but I feel I have landed on the right path as to what I am trying to reflect on." - Venetia Berry, Inkling

  • Inkling 2 Sold
    Inkling 2
    Regular price
    Sold
    Sale price
    £380.00
    Unit price
    per 
  • Inkling 5 Sold
    Inkling 5
    Regular price
    Sold
    Sale price
    £250.00
    Unit price
    per 
  • Inkling 9 Sold
    Inkling 9
    Regular price
    Sold
    Sale price
    £500.00
    Unit price
    per 
  • Inkling 1 Sold
    Inkling 1
    Regular price
    Sold
    Sale price
    £250.00
    Unit price
    per 
  • Inkling 3 Sold
    Inkling 3
    Regular price
    Sold
    Sale price
    £250.00
    Unit price
    per 
  • Inkling 4 Sold
    Inkling 4
    Regular price
    Sold
    Sale price
    £450.00
    Unit price
    per 
  • Inkling 6 Sold
    Inkling 6
    Regular price
    Sold
    Sale price
    £320.00
    Unit price
    per 
  • Inkling 10 Sold
    Inkling 10
    Regular price
    Sold
    Sale price
    £500.00
    Unit price
    per 

Drop 2 - Summer 2022

"This collection is based on the deconstructed female form, within these works I was aiming for less is more, as well as a balance and harmony of colour. I wanted to create a dreamlike and ethereal feel to the works, as well as a reflection of calm." - Venetia Berry

  • Jigsaw Sold
    Jigsaw
    Regular price
    Sold
    Sale price
    £500.00
    Unit price
    per 

The Supper Club Collection

We are thrilled to present this collection of 44 hand-painted plates by Venetia Berry. These original ceramic pieces were created for our Portuguese-inspired Art Supper Club that took place at Brockwell Lido Cafe on the 10th of February.

Born out of an admiration for each others’ craft, they brought us a wonderful evening filled with delicious Portuguese-inspired food cooked by Masterchef finalist Alexina Anatole and served on Venetia’s colourful faceplates. Venetia also led a series of abstract drawing exercises based on her signature style and technique.

20% of all sales will go to the Ukraine Crisis Fundraiser 'Choose Love'.

In The Flesh

This curation is on show at our exhibition 'In The Flesh'. It was on display at 105 Pimlico Road, SW1W 8NQ from 25th November to 19th December 2021. This will be the first time that the artists of Partnership Editions have come together in a physical space since lockdown has lifted, and it celebrates the very fact that we're able to see their works in person again. We embrace the many purposes of an exhibition: a way to unite artists and collectors, and an opportunity to engage with both people and art - something we've all been deprived of for too long. The works in this exhibition have been selected based on their exceptional skill and power to communicate. See their colours, their textures, experience their emotions, let them get under your skin...in the flesh.

Drop 6 - Winter 2021

"Within these mixed media prints I wanted to create a work that spilled over the edge of the print and onto the paper, creating a feeling of abundance and voluptuousness. Through the use of chine collé and paint, each print is transformed from a print to a unique one off work. I love the methodical nature of printmaking, it feels very meditative." - Venetia Berry, Figures In Drypoint

The Debut Home Collection

"As a lover of cooking and food I am constantly looking out for small bowls to put dips into. I felt the scalloped edges of these bowls seamlessly connected with my usual work. A continuation of my works on paper in a more sculptural and functional form. I love the communal nature that food can bring through sharing and wanted to encourage this feeling with these small houmous bowls." - Venetia Berry, Scallop Series

Drop 5 - Autumn 2021

"When working on this series, my aim was to create this dreamlike feeling within the work, something verging on the ethereal. As my work becomes more abstract, colour relationships have become even more important to me. I have always loved the instinctual nature of painting, choosing each colour as they come. With these works I was concentrating more on why I felt instinctually drawn to these colour pairings and why they work for me." - Venetia Berry, Dreamer Series

Drop 4 - High Summer 2021

"I have always wanted to create a large scale reclining nude series. The subject matter is timeless. When hearing the words ‘Reclining Nude’ my mind is transported to the Renaissance period and the numerous sultry looking female nudes, more often than not painted by the brush of a male artist. Don’t get me wrong, these paintings are all very beautiful in their own rights. However, it has always been important to me to reclaim the female form, as a female artist, as well as bringing the potentially exhausted subject matter into 2021, through the use of colour and abstraction." - Venetia Berry, Reclining Nudes

  • Curve III Sold
    Curve III | Venetia Berry | Original Artwork | Partnership Editions
    Regular price
    Sold
    Sale price
    £730.00
    Unit price
    per 

Drop 3 - Summer 2021

“As the evenings get longer and the UK eases out of lockdown, I wanted these works to reflect the sense of hope and a feeling of light at the end of the tunnel. As my work becomes more abstract, I have begun to concentrate even more closely on the intensity and tone of the colours I use.

I am a real believer that colour can enhance your mood, which is why I surround myself with it and find myself feeling uninspired if I am not in a colourful environment. I want these works to be playful, for the viewer to have to look closely to work out which part of the female body I am conveying through various abstracted and elongated shapes and lines - my primary aim being creating a feeling of femininity, whatever that may be, to whoever is looking.” - Venetia Berry, Here Comes The Sun

Drop 2 - Spring 2021

"I have always been incredibly inspired by ceramic art, particularly Picasso’s plates and pots. I love how ceramics can become a blend of painting and sculpture, having something physical to display and easily move around. There is also the link with the kitsch that really interests me. The idea of plates hanging upon walls can evoke a feeling of nostalgia, it makes me think of tea cosies and doilies. Pottery has often been seen as a craft or a ‘female art’ but in recent years is beginning to get the acclaim it so rightly deserves. (I didn’t make these pots myself, I am nowhere near that skilled!) 

Each vase has at least one face painted on it, allowing you to display the vases any way you please. By turning some of the pots on their heads their use as a vase has become redundant. They become a playful object not to be taken too seriously. I find it very interesting to note what bridges the gap between a work of art/sculpture and a household object. I will leave it to the buyer to decide!" - Venetia Berry, Pots in Profile

Please note that every pot has been hand painted and some of the glaze may have cracked naturally in the kiln. Please do not put in the dishwasher. The 'correct' way up vases can contain water and hold flowers, but please be very careful when handwashing your vase. Thank you!

Drop 5 - Winter 2020

"I used a more muted palette within these monumental profiles to convey the sense of calm that my work is giving me at the moment. There is currently so much going on in the world, it can be hard to settle my thoughts, but painting at the moment is giving me what I need. As someone who trained classically in portraiture, it always feels like such a release to be able to paint an abstract portrait. Although these faces are so abstract, I love that each one has a clear personality coming through." - Venetia Berry. Monumental Profile Series

Partnership Editions x MADE

We are thrilled to present our new collaboration with the leading online design and homeware brand MADE.COM on a line of exclusive limited edition prints, as well as a collection of original artworks that the prints were created from - available below. 

Work by six Partnership Editions artists are included in the collection stretching from figurative to abstract, architectural to watercolours. Venetia Berry has created three exclusive Giclee prints in editions of 50. The framed works will be available from MADE.COM and will come framed with a certificate from the artist, and the original artworks are available exclusively via us, below.

Virago - An Online Exhibition by Venetia Berry

These ten artworks on canvas have been created for Venetia’s solo online exhibition: Virago. The title, Virago, makes reference to the paradoxical word which is used to describe a woman who is thought to be “domineering, violent or bad-tempered” but at the same time can be used for a woman who is “heroic, or displays masculine qualities”. 

This problematic word, exemplifies the way that our society often perceives dominant or strong women to be “bossy” or “controlling” whilst their male counterparts are never brandished with the same negative associations for the same behaviours. It also exposes the fact that, if women are thought to be heroic, then their strength is compared to that of a man, rather than being allowed to display strength in a uniquely feminine way.

  • Tyche Sold
    Tyche | Venetia Berry | Original Artwork | Partnership Editions
    Regular price
    Sold
    Sale price
    £1,200.00
    Unit price
    per 
  • Gaia Sold
    Gaia | Venetia Berry | Original Artwork | Partnership Editions
    Regular price
    Sold
    Sale price
    £2,750.00
    Unit price
    per 

Drop 4 - Autumn 2020

"Every day I practice numerous rituals to keep my mental health and anxiety at bay, such as meditation, yoga, breath work and cold water therapy. I really wanted to reflect this constant search for peace and tranquility within these works, particularly as the return to ‘normal’ looms and there is a certain feel of anxiety in the air. I have been thinking a lot about the works of Helen Frankenthaler and Agnes Martin recently, I love the way their works engulf the viewer, you could stare at them for hours in a trance-like state." - Venetia Berry, Tranquility Series

Drop 3 - High Summer 2020

"Embroidery has been something that keeps coming up everywhere I look, for a while now. Having done an embroidery course back in December, I had been thinking of ways to incorporate embroidery into my practice. During lockdown I have had the opportunity to delve deeper into research. I have been particularly interested by the work of Anni Albers, how she used the medium of weaving, traditionally seen as a ‘feminine subject’, to her advantage when she wasn’t allowed to take part in the ‘masculine subjects’. 

When sewing into the paper, I couldn’t help but think about the oppressed womxn of the past. The idea that so many womxn were constrained to live solely for the purpose of the household. The sewing is time consuming and I have really loved the handling of the paper that comes with it. The handling of the paper also, to me, reflects my desire to live more in the present moment. This idea of being present and appreciating the small things in life has been an overwhelming response to the lockdown." - Venetia Berry, Sewn Series

Monumental Curves

Sign up

Be the first to hear about our new releases and get free shipping on your first order

By signing up you will receive newsletters about our new releases and events. You can unsubscribe at any time.