MUNTHE ART MONDAY: NIAMH BIRCH

Please introduce yourself and tell us about what you do.

I’m Niamh Birch, an English/Irish Artist living and working in London. After studying Contemporary Art in Bath followed by stints in West Cork and North Devon during the pandemic, I moved to London in 2022 and I have been painting in a warehouse in Hackney Wick ever since. I have exhibited work internationally, sold artwork in auctions and participated in residencies ranging from painting in the forests of France to screen-printing in studios in East London.

Painting from a combination of memory, drawings and photographs, I depict details and objects from everyday familiarities that are often overlooked, whilst continuously observing beauty within the compositions and patterns in the environments around me. Juxtaposed by harsh black outlines are cheerful and humorous elements, allowing the work to feel precious, yet expressive. Albeit being representative rather than precise, motifs of still life are abundant throughout my work, as well as figurative qualities recently having found their place often at the forefront. These sections of portraiture instigate an honest narrative between people in domestic and interior spaces; whilst also engaging with my love for warmer climates and alfresco dining. Primarily painted in oil based materials, these subjects are balanced in bold colour compositions and impasto textures on canvas, linen and paper.

Can you name some other female (artist) that inspires you and explain why they do so?

I’ll never tire of introducing people to the work and life of Rose Wylie. She makes incredibly witty and aesthetically pleasing paintings, vast in scale and playfully technical in composition and contemporary culture. Today she’s a driving force in the female art world and still working at 90 years old. Her artistic pursuits were paused whilst she raised her children, and after returning to painting and studying in the late 70’s, she hasn’t stopped working and only started to receive recognition in her 70s. She appears to be a wonderful character from her video interviews and her studio looks as beautifully chaotic as I think an Artist studio should look.

If you’re lucky enough to see a Wylie original, take note of her tasteful thick, scrappy paint applications as well as her ideology of painting what she wants, as she sees it.

Other favourites of mine include Johanna Dumet, Betty Woodman, Geneve Figgis and Florence Hutchings.

What has been the most challenging aspect of being a woman in the arts?

Besides the historical and ongoing gender disparity in the arts, pursuing a career as an artist has been and is very challenging. Forming your own career path daily, making every decision with no guaranteed salary as an emerging artist can feel overwhelmingly daunting. Despite these fears, the devotion is engraved within me enough to continue to pursue this dream. My recent gallery representation has come to an abrupt end, sadly due to a corrupt owner letting down myself, and many others. This, alongside sky-high studio rent costs, sub-par studio spaces, vanity galleries, late or unpaid sales, high commissions are a few factors that are too common in London and afar, which adds to the general challenges artists face today. These problems aren’t purely subjected to women at all. A pressure I feel that is more female-focused is to have my career on the road to success with high recognition before I begin having children, just in case my practice has to halt. Starting a family is not in my timeline anytime soon and I know it is possible to raise children alongside a career, even so, reading stories of mothers who felt the pressures to pause their art careers whilst journeying motherhood is something I am aware of.

Can you explain more about how being a woman has affected your career?

The gender disparity in the arts, under-representation in galleries, exhibitions and history has only made me more aware and engrossed in discovering and studying historical and living female artists, as well as any female creatives thriving in their practice. It has highlighted the importance of building a community of female peers, mentors and creatives in London and virtually, where platforms are being made to amplify female voices in art. Being a woman in the arts has led me to exhibit in female-focused exhibitions, auctions and opportunities working with clothing brands that offer a spotlight to women’s stories, lives and careers including Munthe. There is no better feeling than empowerment and it is equally as important to empower others, especially towards female, female-identifying and non-binary artists. I feel hopeful watching more women curating, gallery managing and exhibiting in major shows and galleries worldwide, many young but it is also wonderful to see older women getting their well-deserved limelight, often after putting their career on hold due to family responsibilities or motherhood. Who knows if the gender gap has been a personal disadvantage to me, I see enough incredible, accomplished and influential female artists out there making a living from their artwork, and that is enough for me to carry on.

I was lucky enough to spend a month this year on an art residency in a town called Belvès in the Perigord Noir, France. This opportunity gave me the chance to communicate creatively and build a brief sisterhood with two wonderful female artists, Iria Cortizo, a Spanish sculptor and Juliette Sallin, a Swiss textile artist as well as the host, Sierra Forest. Bonding and creating work alongside these women was beyond calming and refreshing, with a level of empathy shared even throughout the odd language barrier. Being a painter can be often fairly lonely, so times like these can act as a huge amount of solace within my career.

Niamh is wearing Edie pants.

What would you like people to notice in your artwork?

If anything, I’d like people to engage with my artwork by noticing the textures, layering and edges of my paintings. This invites an intimate engagement with the work - an interaction that often distinguishes artists from non-artists in gallery spaces. The edges of paintings to me can be the most interesting part; from the pencilled notes on the side, the fingerprints and staples to the dried, drips of paint hanging over the edge that tells you how the work was constructed. While I don't require viewers to notice specific details, I do hope they experience an emotional response or pause to take more than a glance. The majority of people will overlook my work, it’s the other makers or creative thinkers that might have something to say about it.

Niamh is wearing Edie pants, Thono vest and Thinka blazer.