Oona Culley
Puddles and Reflections, 2010
Gloss paint and aluminium leaf
Daycare Room 3
Puddles and Reflections, presents abstracted images of rain puddles and their reflected trees and foliage against the sky. The artist has employed a combination of glossy paint and silver leaf to incorporate reflections of the surrounding light and space. The muted palette of greys and silvers, associated with rain, affords the work a calm and contemplative atmosphere.
About the artist
Oona Culley (b. 1975, United Kingdom) is a London-based artist who explores the delicate interplay between memory and oblivion through her subtle projections and installations. She holds a BFA in Fine Art from the Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, University of Oxford (1997), a BA in Graphic Design from Berkshire School of Art & Design (2002), and an MA from the Royal College of Art (2005).
Culley's work is characterised by its focus on the ephemeral and the illusory. By restoring commonplace scenarios and evoking the qualities of lost presences, she brings to life the immaterial, allowing forgotten objects and moments to reemerge with a haunting beauty. Her fictitious compositions, where dry pebbles become vibrant under turquoise water and flowers bloom in vases, challenge perceptions and invite viewers into a dreamlike atmosphere. This exploration of restoration and depletion is further articulated in her flick books, where the act of turning pages unveils moments of transformation.
Her public art commissions include installations at notable locations such as the Royal Liverpool University Hospital (2022), John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford (2020), and Great Ormond Street Hospital, London (2016). Culley has also created works for various British Airways locations, including Heathrow and Brussels Airport, as well as for the University of Oxford.
Culley has exhibited widely, with recent shows including "Plantae Online 2024" at the Society of Botanical Artists and "Drama 2024" at the Association of Botanical Artists. Her work has been featured in esteemed venues such as the John Hansard Gallery, Royal London Hospital Gallery, and the Berardo Collection Museum.
Exhibition
Hannah Brown
Young Artists Present a Different View
Feb – May 2009
The Royal London Hospital Gallery, Whitechapel