Bio
Evi Antonio is a mixed media contemporary artist. With a background in scientific illustration, Evi Antonio’s art forensically investigates the hidden details of the natural world.
London based artist Evi, grew up in an urban landscape but knew early on she was fascinated in the natural world. She found her inspiration and connection through the pictures in natural history books.
She went on to study and graduated with a degree in scientific illustration. Her early career was as watercolour artist, illustrating for the very publications that had fuelled her childhood inspiration.
Her work transitioned in 2012 when her digital painting was accepted into the Royal Academy summer exhibition and propelling her into the contemporary art world.
Originally inspired by the lithographic plates in the 19th century, Evi had developed her own contemporary, mixed media technique that reflected the authenticity of the traditions and documentation of scientific and natural history art.
Evi’s technique is a combination of highly detailed, digital painting, working directly from specimens and her own sourced photos of abstract, urban texture around London. These are then composed digitally and printed individually by her in her studio. Her pieces result in high quality, hand finished prints, either in small editions or one-of-a-kind pieces.
Evi has exhibited her work both as a solo artist and in group shows all over the UK and Affordable Art Fairs. She has been awarded several art prizes including, best artist, East of England with NOAC competition, The Secret Art Prize runner up, 2018, winner of The Cult House Open Call 2019. Most recently, Evi was selected to exhibit at Salon des Beaux-Arts in Paris and awarded third prize in the international juried competition with Women United Art Movement. She lives and works between her home in Essex and London.
Statement
My work explores themes of transformation and fragility of life, in the forms of butterflies. Inspired by intricate details in nature and urban textures of London, my art captures moments of presence on my life’s journey.
Birth, death and rebirth are stages of life’s cycle and I look to nature, drawing parallels.
My vision is to turn the ordinary into the extra ordinary. Walking around London, I seek hidden beauty in the textures within the gritty, urban, environment. I am questioning what is beauty? By transcending notions of beauty and ugliness, both in the urban landscape and natural world, I am illuminating aspects of my subjects that may go unnoticed. Been up close is physical and visceral and as an artist I want to capture that and give this back to the viewer.
The infinite patterns and symmetry I see in butterflies and the natural world remind me of a divinity which is out of our realm but available to us all if we connect to our true nature and the present.
I am asking the viewer to be present and value our connection to the natural world, inciting a deeper consciousness.
The metaphor in the art is that it’s vital now to realise we are connected to nature and we need to look close not only at the world around us but at ourselves to make positive changes for the future.
