Aysha Nagieva (b. 1999) is a London-based painter whose work explores memory, emotion, and the intimate experiences of everyday life. A graduate of City & Guilds of London Art School with First-Class Honours, Nagieva quickly gained recognition, being shortlisted for the ACS Studio Prize in 2021. Her practice often centers around tender, observational moments—captured through a delicate yet assured painterly language. With exhibitions including a solo online show, A Birthday Party, with Four You Gallery, Nagieva’s work speaks to the fragility and richness of the human experience, blending subtle narrative and personal symbolism with a quietly evocative touch.
HELLO AYSHA AND WELCOME BACK FOR THE THIRD TIME! ONCE AGAIN, IT IS GREAT TO HAVE YOU TO TELL US MORE ABOUT YOUR PRACTICE.
I FIND THE EXPRESSIONS IN SOME OF THE OBJECTS YOU PAINT TO BE QUITE AMUSING IN THE SENSE OF THEIR RENDERING AS CHILD-LIKE TOYS AND FIGURES. CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THE PROCESS OF GIVING NEW LIFE TO THESE OBJECTS THROUGH FACIAL EXPRESSIONS? ARE EXPRESSIONS ASSIGNED TO THE OBJECT PRIOR TO THEIR RENDERING OR DO YOU PAINT HOW YOU ARE FEELING IN THE MOMENT?
All of my paintings tend to be planned out in advance and I like to go through the composition thoroughly deciding on all the small details, including facial expressions, prior to painting. Although I like to think that my paintings exist outside of me, my own moods, life experiences and feelings always creep in somehow. Even though the expression has been assigned to the object beforehand, it still somehow manages to capture how I’ve been feeling recently.
DO YOU USE PHYSICAL REFERENCES TO PRODUCE THE FIGURES WHICH ARE CENTRAL TO YOUR WORK? WHAT IS THE PROCESS OF SELECTING REFERENCES WHEN PRODUCING NEW WORK?
My painting process usually starts off with an idea I have in my head. I then take that idea to Blender (a 3D-graphics software) and make a digital maquette there. This step is crucial because it allows me the freedom to create my own characters from scratch, set my own lighting and play around with composition as much as possible. Once I have a visual reference, I then move onto painting.
AS WE MENTIONED BEFORE, THIS IS YOUR THIRD TIME WORKING WITH 4BYSIX ON THEIR SOCIALLY ENGAGED INITIATIVE. HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE BACK AND HOW DID WORKING ON THE TARPAULIN COMPARE TO THE PLASTIC PANEL?
I’m always open to trying new things so working with 4BYSIX is a lot of fun. I found that painting on tarpaulin was a bit more challenging than the plastic panels at first. However, after some experimenting I adjusted my painting technique slightly to compliment the material and make it work for me, which I think ended up producing pretty nice, vibrant colours. I was very happy with how both pieces have turned out.
AS YOU HAVE PREVIOUSLY STATED THAT ALL OF YOUR PAINTINGS ARE “MEMORY CAPSULES OF DIFFERENT STAND OUT MOMENTS” IN YOUR LIFE, CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THE INSPIRATION FOR THE WORK YOU HAVE MADE ON THE TARPAULIN?
I’ve made the works on the tarpaulin at a very busy time. My life prior to the past couple of months has been pretty slow-paced and it has picked up quite a bit recently, which was a shock to the system. Even though I’m enjoying being more busy, it sometimes feels overwhelming. Both of these pieces aim to depict the feelings of being happy and excited, the ‘cherry on top’-kind of feeling at the same time as uneasiness, anxiety and worry that always comes hand in hand with moments of success and achievement for me.
A KEY ELEMENT OF YOUR PRACTICE IS YOUR ABILITY TO RENDER TEXTURES LIKE PLASTIC AND CERAMICS. HOW DID YOU FIND WORKING ON THE TARPAULIN, A PLASTIC LIKE COATED FABRIC? DID THE MATERIAL SPARK ANY INSPIRATION FOR THE TEXTURES IN THIS PAINTING?
I usually have a very specific process when painting, which helps me create these intense highlights and colours. My usual surface choice is always canvas, which is quite absorbent and allows for layering. Tarpaulin, however, doesn’t absorb paint in the same way due to being very plastic-like. To achieve a similar effect, I had to paint almost wet on wet, using impasto techniques and being a lot more free with paint application, which I thought was a lot of fun.
Tarpaulin was definitely the main reason the cherries ended up with their intense, almost translucent at times reds and pinks.
LASTLY, HOW HAS LIFE BEEN IN THE STUDIO FOR YOU RECENTLY? DO YOU HAVE ANY NEW PROJECTS OR TECHNIQUES YOU ARE CURRENTLY WORKING ON? ARE THERE ANY EXCITING PROJECTS YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO STARTING?
I’m currently planning a lot of new pieces that are a combination of old and new subjects matters and techniques. I want to bring in elements from my older works into the newer stuff I’ve been experimenting with recently. It’s all very exciting!
