Rebecca Holton
Rebecca Holton studied fine art in Edinburgh, where she had life drawing classes at least three times a week. She came back to art full time in 2018 and started with graphite portraits before switching to paint. Her subjects are people in cafés, on street corners and on buses. "We are across the other side of the room or walking by," Holton says. Sometimes she stretches a bench or raises a ceiling to add a sense of solitude. In 2025 she won seven awards, including the British Art Prize for Portraiture. One of them led to a solo show at Guildford House Gallery, with three rooms to fill. Next she wants to work more with light.
Q: You studied fine art in Edinburgh. When did you know it was going to be people you painted?
A: I have always been drawn to people.
My degree was heavily focused on life drawing, with a live model at least three times a week. My final degree show was also centred around people, presence and sleep. When I returned to art full-time in 2018, I began where I had left off, again focussed on people through linear portrait drawings in graphite.
Over the last few years, I became increasingly drawn to colour and paint and began to explore these within my work. Initially, I wanted to focus purely on the human figure; more recently, I began introducing simple backgrounds into my paintings. I found that adding this sense of context helped to strengthen recognition and gave the figures a greater sense of place. My work is constantly developing, but people remain at its centre.
Q: You paint people in cafés, on street corners, on buses. What makes you stop?
A: It's tricky to analyse what makes me stop and want to capture a moment.
I think it could be recognition – waiting at a station for a delayed train, having a chat over a coffee with a best friend, or even the uncertainty of a particular stage of life. They are moments familiar to me and those close to me, so I connect with them.
Similarly, I hope to encourage empathy and connection with my viewers.
By inviting viewers into these intimate encounters, my artwork reflects contemporary life: the routines, relationships and fleeting moments that often pass unnoticed yet help shape who we are.
Q: What do you change in a scene once you start painting it?
A: That hugely depends on the scene.
It may be very small things – perhaps removing a wall shadow, or the edge of someone's foot so the composition works better, muting or intensifying the colour of an area, or adding a weed or shadow to balance the image. Or, it could be larger decisions – deliberately extending a bench or heightening a ceiling to give a sense of solitude or escape.
The changes are affected by the narrative I want to capture in that scene and where I want to encourage the viewer's eye.
Q: You often hide part of a figure, or move them out of the middle. What made you compose that way?
A: I want to keep the feeling that we, as the viewer, are observers rather than engaged in the scene. The scenes have not been set up for us, and we are not involved in them.
Rather, we are across the other side of the room or walking by. In addition, I want to emphasise the fleeting nature of the scene – this is a moment we could miss. I find offsetting the composition helps the viewer to take the role of passive observer and outsider, as well as encouraging the idea that this moment will be gone within seconds.
Q: Last year you won seven awards, including the British Art Prize for Portraiture. What did that year do for you?
A: Yes, it was an amazing year! Practically, awards give you exposure to a new audience and reassure your current clients that your work is of value. Personally, the day-to-day life of an artist can be quite a solitary career, and to have your work recognised is a great morale and confidence-booster.Across the year, I won three opportunities to exhibit in solo exhibitions and art fairs. The way I work meant I couldn't produce enough work for all three, so I decided to focus on one, a solo show at Guildford House Gallery. The timeline was tight – there are three rooms to fill, the award is in December, and the exhibition takes place the following July. I am used to the pressure of portrait commissions, but the pressure of producing that amount of my own figurative work was different. It was a wonderful opportunity and challenge – and one I enjoyed.
Q: What's coming up now, and is there anything new you want to explore?
A: There are lots of exciting conversations happening at the moment with galleries both in the UK and internationally. I'll be showing a few pieces with several new galleries next year. I can't disclose who just yet, but I'll be sharing more over the next few months. Exciting times ahead!
Creatively, I really want to explore light further. It's something that I feel hugely affects the narrative and beauty of the work – I've barely scratched the surface!
