Chloe Early (born in Cork, Ireland in 1980) is a London-based contemporary artist, known for her figurative paintings with street art influences.
She graduated from the National College of Art and Design in Dublin in 2003, where she studied printed textiles. She has been painting ever since, accruing a list of solo and group shows in Dublin, London, Los Angeles, Miami, Cork and New York.
Working in oils on aluminium panel, Early’s colour-saturated mini-narratives combine the splendour of Renaissance and Romantic painting with the rawness of contemporary life, a splendid example of 'the iron fist in a velvet glove' strategy, examining the sensitive and personal aspects of conflict, ambition and entropy in an opulent, cinematic style.
She is inspired by contrasts and contradictions, both in motif and in her choice of material. The floating or falling female motifs seem to be in the tension between "the glory of a rise" and "the danger of a fall". The contrast is further emphasized by the interplay between the hard and raw metal in the aluminum with the soft, sensitive motifs.
She combines stylistic elements from Renaissance and Romantic painting with the rawness of today, where she examines the sensitive and personal aspects of conflict, ambition and degrees of disorder in an almost cinematic style. At the same time, feelings of redemption and hope can be seen in the contradictory works.
As a sketch she uses photos made in collaboration with models who are specialized in holding particular positions. These special positions are created i.a. using trampolines.
She is currently living and working in London with her husband Conor Harrington.
EDUCATION
2003 National College of Art and Design in Dublin
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2012
Rainbow Ruins, Corey Helford Gallery, Los Angeles
2011
Feathers and Wax, Joshua Liner Gallery, New York
2010
Birdsong and Machine Sounds, Corey Helford Gallery, Los Angeles
2008
Ladies and Gentlemen we are Spinning in Space, Stolen Space Gallery, London
Pieces of A Dream, Tramyard Gallery, Dublin
2007
Between Earth and Heaven, Stolen Space Gallery, London
2006
Springboard, Tramyard Gallery, Dublin
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023
Urban Fragments, KIRK Gallery, Aalborg, Denmark
10 year anniversary | Out in the Open, KIRK Gallery, Aalborg, Denmark
2022
Urban Currents, KIRK Gallery, Aalborg, Denmark
2021
BEYOND THE STREETS on Paper, BEYOND THE STREETS
2017
Defying Gravity: Humans and Other Objects in Mid-Air, Corey Helford Gallery1
2016
Still Here: A Decade of Lazarides, Lazarides Gallery, London
2014
Art Truancy: 20 Years of Juxtapoz Magazine, Jonathan LeVine Gallery, New York
2010, 2011, 2012 Space Miami, Corey Helford Gallery
2009
Multi-Plane Group Show, Corey Helford Gallery, Los Angeles
Summer Group Show, Joshua Liner Gallery, New York
2009, 2010 Summer Group Show, Stolen Space, London
Chasing Castles, Kinsey Desforges Gallery, Los Angeles