Bio
Victoria King is a UK based classical figurative artist, academic and writer/creative consultant. In her paintings she draws upon her own personal history and experience, tied to aspects of contemporary life and incorporating traditional oil painting and drawing methods and techniques.
‘My paintings evolve very slowly – as each stage of a painting is completed, a fresh layer builds on the previous towards the final composition and vision. I hold an inherent interest in the Renaissance as an important epoch which celebrated beauty, the intellect and humanity. Ongoing research underpins my painting practice, to shed light on the context, lives, methods and techniques of key Master artists, across time.’King’s professional art tuition was with Artist Charles Gebherd who had trained at The Royal Academy School London. Studies covered Life Drawing, Portraiture and Still Life, across different media, charcoal, graphite, pen/ink, pastel and oil paint, completing her very first oil painting – Still Life, Glass Decanters /in Pink Light -now sadly lost.
King concurrently studied Classical Ballet/Imperial Russian Style 11-19yrs with Miss Kathleen Crofton a Pavlova Protégée and soloist with The Markova-Dolin Ballet Company. This offered class alongside prima ballerina Belinda Wright, soloists John Gilpin, Jelco Uresha, Robert North with barre/centre work, pointe work, pas de deux and character. However the art tuition via Gebherd had instilled an interest in art, drawing and painting. Consequently a few years later King embarked upon Art Foundation Studies at HornseyCollege of Art followed by Walthamstow School of Art at University of East London. Her Tutors included Sir Peter Blake RA CBE RDI, Carel Weight RA CBE, Jack Smith, Fred Dubery NEAC, Olwyn Bowey RA, Richard Rome RA FRSS, Jack Millar, writer Ian Sinclair/Film Studies.
After leaving college King worked across the creative cultural sector for decades as arts project worker, entrepreneur and arts manager, also developing interest in the politics of government arts cultural support. In 1994 King was awarded a postgraduate MA Arts Management & Policy from The City University, also establishing Arts Management Consultancy. King has worked as LBB&D Arts development Officer, ACE Artmark & Project Assessor – and ultimately university lecturer with BIRBECK UCL and Greenwich, London Metropolitan and Middlesex universities.
King has also worked with London Arts Board, arts agencies/pArts, LB Camden, Finchley, Hackney, Barking& Dagenham, and the Business Design Centre Islington. Also important creative entrepreneurs/Robin Howard CBE/ The Place, Robert Cohen LCDSchool,John ChesworthnNYDCO, Mark Featherstone Witty FAME/LeonieUrdang, Cecchetti Society, Anthony van Laast and prestigious organisations; the National Portrait Gallery, Hayward Gallery, TATE, Mayors Thames Festival, LIFT, The Whitechapel Art gallery,ArtsAdmin, SPACE Studios,IMT Gallery, together with being intrinsically involved in the important training and mentoring of future arts professionals as The Placements Director with Birkbeck over a period of 17years.
1994 Above is the original EASTWAY Bath House in Hackney Wick within which studios were developed into the LAUNDRY building nearby. King set up her first working studio here to resume her artistic practice on a part-time basis coupled with arts consultancy..
In 1998 King moved to The Chocolate Factory Wood Green N22, a newly formed creative hub in the former Bassett Sweet Factory. Below profiles her large 333 sq ft, naturally well-lit studio. Over the next x20years King completed commissions and regularly exhibited, alongside consultancy and university teaching.
2011 On leaving Birkbeck: King continued her painting practice now on a full-time basis, also researching Renaissance Methods & Techniques.
2018: Further redevelopment of The Chocolate Factory N22, forced King to relocate again back to SPACE Studios Hackney Wick.
King has completed additional courses with; The Royal Drawing School, conferences with The National Gallery, The National Portrait Gallery, The Wallace Collection and LARA-The London Atelier of Representational Art : Life Drawing, Sight-size Drawing, Portraiture & Still Life/Perishable Fruits. with tutors David Cranswick, Robert Dukes, Melissa Scott Miller, Travis Kemp, Luca Indraccolo, Anastasia Pollard.
Professional Affiliations:
THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF ARTS – RSA Fellow
THE WORSHIPFUL COMPANY OF ARTS SCHOLARS
Liveryman/Education Committee Member – (lapsed)
BEDFORD HOUSE Buckhurst Hill – Trustee 2017-2021
EXHIBITIONS:
2024;: SPACE STUDIOS – Open Studios event EASTWAY Hackney WIck
2024: Essex Art Club – Memb. Group Exhibition Wansted House
2023 Essex Art Club – EAC Members Group Show Wansted House
2023 Essex Art Club – EAC Member Group Exhibition The View
2022 Essex Art Club – Wanstead House Redbridge EACMembers Group Exhibition: Cloud Studies 1,2,3.
2022 Epping Forest EAC Members Group Show: Portraits Volunteer Wardens Simone Herbert, HaydenRissbrook. Moira Fell, Ray Stelzner
2021 Essex Art Club Members – On-line Exhibition: The Cult of Beauty – Parfam Studies 1,2 as below.
2020 Essex Art Club – The View Epping Forest, Portrait EF Volunteer Warden Roderick Grosstephen
2020 Online Exhibition – #portraitsfornhsheroes ‘Louise’ NHS
2019 Essex Art Club Exhibition – Wanstead House, Redbridge London: EAC Members exhibition
2019 Hackney WickED Exhibition – The Trampery, Hackney Wick, London: Self Portrait, ‘Impermanence of Self’
2019 Essex Art Club Members Exhibition – House Mill Gallery, Bromley by Bow London – 2 Drawings: Life Studies
2019 Essex Art Club Exhibition – The View /Epping Forest, Chingford – Drawing ‘Tree in Winter’
2018 Essex Art Club Exhibition – Wanstead House, Redbridge London: Members Group Exhibition
2018 HS2 Artists Protest Exhibition – The Crypt Gallery, Camden London. 2018 N22 Open Studios – The Chocolate Factory, Wood Green London.
2017 Summer Salon – Lubomirov/Angus Hughes Gallery, Clapton London: – Painting ‘Today’s Tango
2017 N22 Open Studios – The Chocolate Factory, Wood Green London2016 Lubomirov/Angus Hughes Gallery, Clapton London: ‘SIXTY’ Exhibition – Print of ‘Eye of the Beholder’
2016 N22 Open Studios -The Chocolate Factory Wood Green London.
2015 N22 Open Studios – The Chocolate Factory, Wood Green London.
2014 The Untitled Artists Fair – Chelsea Town Hall, Chelsea London.
2014 N22 Open Studios – The Chocolate Factory, Wood Green London.
2012/13 N22 Open Studios – The Chocolate Factory, Wood Green London.
2011 Exhibition – Le Mur Vivant Fine Art Gallery, Pimlico London: Group exhibition -Painting ‘Contemporary Madonna’
2011 N22 Open Studios – The Chocolate Factory, Wood Green London.
2010 ‘Les Peintres d’Haringey’ – L’Office de Tourism Livry-Gargan, Paris: Group Exhibition
1998-2010 Annual Open Studios – The Chocolate Factory, London.
1994-1997 Annual Open Studios – SPACE Studios, Hackney London.
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