Bio
Photo credit John Powell
Charlotte Aiken is a Gloucestershire-based artist, creating visual impressions of the sky through the use of oil paint. Her practice celebrates the sublimity of the sky and explores her deep fascination with cloud formations and our connection to the natural world. A 2017 graduate of the London Metropolitan School of Art, Architecture and Design, Charlotte went on to win The Graduate Art Prize with Artiq. She has since been longlisted for several prestigious awards, including the Jackson’s Painting Prize in 2017, the VAA Professional Artists Award in 2023, and The Women in Art Emerging Artist Prize in 2024. Charlotte’s paintings are featured in collections and curations across London, and she has exhibited widely throughout the UK, including at the Royal Academy’s Summer Exhibition, ‘Only Connect’.
Charlotte’s work centres on the notion of infinity, as exemplified by her representations of the sky. The composition of her paintings is guided by the structure of the cloud formations she photographs. She chooses on occasion to use decorating brushes to accentuate imperfection and texture, recreating an impression of the sky rather than an accurate portrayal. Charlotte’s work reflects her distinct perspective, where she experiences a world that feels excessively exposed, pixelated, and vivid. She uses her paintings to comprehend what she observes; the layers of colour and brush strokes are physical manifestations of what the world looks like through her eyes. Charlotte's paintings invite you to pause... and look up.
Exhibitions
2025
- March – The Other Art Fair, London
- February – GOP@TEN, Studio 18, Stroud
2024
- November - Guildford House Open, Guildford
- September – ‘Fifteen’, group show, Artiq, Soho Revue
- September – ‘Beyond Reach’, John Street Gallery, Stroud
- September - 'Sensus Materia', The Old Chapel, Stroud
- June – The Taster Exhibition, Lansdown Gallery, Stroud
- February – ‘Elysian’ solo exhibition, Studio 18, Stroud
2023
- November - Art on a Postcard Winter Auction, Gathering, London
- July - Royal Academy of Arts Summer Exhibition, London
- July - Art Below Summer show, Ad lib Gallery, Wimbledon
- July - Art Below Summer Show, Hyde Park tube station, London
- April - Art Below Group Show, Ad lib Gallery, Wimbledon, London
- April - Art Below, Group show, Pimlico tube station, London
2022
- Charlie Waller art auction, Belgravia Gallery, Cranleigh Arts Centre
2021
- Luminance, Solo exhibition, Surrey
- Transparent Waters, Group exhibition, Belgravia Gallery (online), Cranleigh
2019
- Spring, Group exhibition, Belgravia Gallery, Cranleigh
2018
- Solo exhibition, Cranleigh Arts Centre, Surrey
2017
- The Graduate Art Prize, Shoreditch, London
- Degree Show, The CASS, London
2016
- Group Show, [ ], Galerija Miroslav Kraljevic, Zagreb, Croatia
2015
- Group Show, Kachette, Shoreditch, London
2014
- Hackney Wicked, Group Show, Number 90, Hackney Wick, London
- Solo Charity Exhibition for Refuge, Walthamstow, London
Awards and Residencies
2024
Longlisted for The Women in Art Emerging Artist Prize
2023
Longlisted for VAA Professional Artist Award
2019
Long listed for Jacksons Painting Prize
2017
Winner of The Graduate Art Prize, ARTIQ, London
A Chris Rowley Prize, The School of Art, Architecture and Design
2023
The Pump House Residency X ARTIQ, Nottinghamshire
2019
Hurtwood House artist in residence, Surrey