THE CINEMA PORTRAITS
PORTRAITS LIT ONLY BY THE LIGHT OF THE SCREEN
ABOUT
Artist Nina Mae Fowler invites you to commission a portrait of yourself or a loved one, watching their favourite film lit only by the light of the screen.
Fowler’s work investigates fame, desire and our relationship with cinema epitomised by her major commission by the National Portrait Gallery to produce a series of ‘Luminary Drawings’, portrait drawings in pencil and charcoal of nine of the UK’s leading film directors watching a film of importance to them. Individuals selected for this project include Ridley Scott, Sally Potter, Sam Mendes, Ken Loach and Amma Asante MBE and their portraits now hang in the National Portrait Gallery.
This new ‘Cinema Portraits’ series extends the original project more widely to individuals with a desire to own a portrait of themselves or a family member, who may be new to the commissioning process. So far, as part of The Cinema Portraits, Jude Law, Caroline Issa and Lee Mack with his daughter have been drawn.
“Since completing the series of portraits of British Film Directors for The National Portrait Gallery (London, 2019) I have been asked to carry out similar commissions of people watching films of great importance to them. The drawings are created using the same process I developed for the museum project - setting up a transportable cinema environment and lighting the sitter only by the luminance of the screen, so they are immersed in the film of their choosing.”
— Nina Mae Fowler
Images courtesy of The National Portrait Gallery
Images courtesy of The National Portrait Gallery
THE SITTING
Everyman Cinemas are generously offering their Picturehouse venues to be used for private client sittings to support the project. where Nina would join you to work on the portrait whilst you watch the film of your choice. Comfortable chairs and velvet sofas replace standard seating in Everyman picture-houses, allowing you to enjoy your favourite film and portrait experience in a truly special way.
Alternatively, Fowler can set up a cinema environment in her studio or the sitter’s home. The aim is to ensure each individual is lit with the luminance of the screen, watching a film of their choice whilst Nina takes stills and makes preliminary sketches that form the basis of the final pencil and charcoal drawing.
Find out more about the commissioning process here.
Home cinema set up
The artist working at an Everyman Cinema Portrait sitting
The artist working at an Everyman Cinema Portrait sitting
THE DRAWINGS
The ‘Cinema Portraits’ drawings are 40 x 60 cm, charcoal on paper, signed and dated on the verso.
The working edges will be left for the client to decide whether to crop in framing or leave as part of the composition. (Framing is not included.)
Find out more about the commissioning process here.
View previous commissions in the Gallery.
SUPPORT
£500 of the portrait fee will be donated to the East Anglian Children’s Hospices (EACH).
EAST ANGLIA’S CHILDREN’S HOSPICES (EACH)
EACH supports families and cares for children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Cambridgeshire, Essex, Norfolk and Suffolk. Funds raised will go directly to care delivery - including nurses, therapy, holistic symptom management and the equipment needed to provide these services, as well as bereavement support for the families of those who are nearing the end of life. To learn more, follow this link.
“I chose to donate £500 of my fee to EACH as I have been a long standing supporter of this charity which is local to me in Norfolk. Having visited one of their newest sites 'The Nook' - a children's hospice in Norwich - I am in awe of the work they do to support not only the children with terminal illnesses and complicated needs but also their siblings, grandparents and other family members. They offer a safe haven of peace and comfort, staffed by the most incredibly caring people. They need funding to continue their work on every level, from the heated pool which offers pain free movement for some of the patients and a place to have fun with their families at the end of their lives to the smaller but equally important services like the musical therapists who can bring joyful sensations to children facing unbelievably difficult emotional and physical circumstances.”
— NINA MAE FOWLER
“We’re absolutely thrilled and very excited to have been approached by Nina. She’s incredibly talented and her body of work, and attention to detail, is truly breath-taking. That’s what makes this such an incredible opportunity for anyone keen to commission one of her portraits. They will be receiving something very special, personal and unique while at the same time generating vital income, helping us support families and care for children and young people with life-threatening conditions.”
— KEVIN CLEMENTS, EACH Director of Fundraising and Communications
TESTIMONIALS
Jude Law on his cinema portrait
“Nina has created a perfect situation in which one can lose oneself in a favourite film and therefore become an open, engaged and yet relaxed subject. As someone who works in the medium of film it felt like a perfect triangulation for connection. Nina watching me watch a film.”
Ridley Scott on ‘Luminary Drawings’
“I was not keen on sitting for a portrait because I dislike being photographed intensely. But Nina persevered and is a hard one to turn down. She sent me a book on her work, and I was blown away. She explained her technique and how she worked to enable people to sit still for the session. In my case, she wanted me to watch the first film I ever saw. I think it worked out.”
Caroline Issa on her cinema portrait
"Thank you thank you for the beautiful portrait with your magical hands. I love it. It's so of the moment and captures such an expression of happiness and wonder at true art - very meta!'
Jessica Purefoy on child cinema portrait commission
“This new body of work by Nina captures moments of awestruck wonder, by recording these fleeting moments, she forever captures a fundamental euphoria, first experienced as a child, but never quite lost as an adult.”
ABOUT NINA MAE FOWLER
Nina Mae Fowler (b. 1981) is known for her sumptuously detailed large-scale drawings and installations which interrogate themes of celebrity, beauty, power, and sexuality. Her works have been exhibited internationally and are held in public museum collections such as the National Portrait Gallery and Oxford University. She is included in private collections. Film, art, music and fashion luminaries such as Sir Ridley Scott, Jude Law, Daniel Templon, Roland Mouret and Caroline Issa are amongst her private collectors.
Fowler is represented by Cob Gallery (London), Suzanne Tarasieve (Paris) and artnow Gallery (Berlin).
She lives and works in Norfolk and is married to artist Craig Wylie.
CONTACT &
MEDIA ENQUIRIES
ARTISTS WEBSITE
www.ninamaefowler.art
Follow Nina on her portrait commissions:
@thecinemaportraits
#TheCinemaPortraits