Lola Stong-Brett

The figures in Stong-Brett’s work, initially reminiscent of animated characters like Popeye and Bimbo, evolve from playful familiarity into unsettling, often violent portrayals of ordinary life. Shaped in her upbringing within a community deeply invested in hard work and resilience, she was drawn to these characters for their depiction of working-class life, resonating with the authenticity of her own experiences. By intertwining abstraction with figuration and merging the cartoonish with the gravitas of oil painting, Stong-Brett collapses the divide between high and low art. Her use of facade-like masking overlays darker, more melancholic meanings, much like a public mask conceals private complexities. Over time, the figures become increasingly ambiguous, leaving the viewer uncertain whether they are embracing or strangling one another, symbolising the tension between connection and conflict.

Living by the sea in Margate, Stong-Brett finds a delicate balance between the comforts of domesticity and the uncontrollable forces of nature. This tension between the familiar and the chaotic pervades her work, as she juxtaposes the mundanities of everyday life—pool tables, pub scenes—with the raw, elemental presence of the sea. In her paintings, Stong-Brett also weaves in her personal interests, including tattooing, folk art, and her own poetry, adding layers of meaning that reflect both her artistic practice and her personal identity.

Stong-Brett’s use of bold, saturated colours—fiery reds, vibrant blues, and sun yellows—evokes visceral emotional responses tied to passion, anger, and ecstasy, while muted tones like greens and earth shades suggest contemplation, introspection, or a connection to nature. These colour choices become part of a personal language, reflecting her identity and emotional states, with each brushstroke carrying autobiographical significance. Ultimately, Stong-Brett’s paintings create a dynamic space where meaning is fluid—where emotional and social landscapes unfold through colour, gesture, and form, fostering a dialogue between personal and collective experience.