Alice Irwin British, b. 1994

Alice Irwin’s distinctive visual language navigates the boundary between figuration and abstraction. Repeating symbols, simplified bodily forms, and bold colour palettes - typically in vivid pinks, oranges, and blues - are characteristic of her practice. Childhood experiences, games, and shared memories surface throughout her sculptures and prints, forming a vibrant conversation between past and present. In a world increasingly saturated by the relentless forward-motion of modern life, Irwin’s work provides a deliberate break - a moment of elusion and elation suspended between today and tomorrow. Her practice invites us to exist in a liminal realm: to acknowledge the chaos of the outside world whilst setting it aside, momentarily, through engagement with art. Irwin creates spaces where we can be present, where the weight of daily overwhelm lifts, if only for a moment, replaced by curiosity and playfulness. Amid the noise and speed of contemporary life, the artist asks us to switch off - not through avoidance, but by leaning into joy.

Irwin’s work embodies sensory contrasts: some elements feel distinctly tactile, conjuring the urge to touch, grasp or play; others evoke kinetic, almost electric, experiences in the mind. Sculptural forms, repeating motifs and vivid colours pulse with energy, simultaneously inviting childhood nostalgia and provoking new interpretations. Irwin explores the contrasts within childhood itself: between innocence and awareness, naivety and confidence, joy and anxiety. Her work speaks to audiences from all walks of life, encouraging them to meander through personal memories while uncovering new layers of meaning. 

Alice Irwin (b.1994) is an award-winning artist who graduated from the RCA in 2018. Irwin is currently contributing to the ‘Streaky Dance’ commission at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, Wakefield. In 2024, Pitzhanger Manor and Gallery held Irwin's first institutional show, 'Chinwag.' In the same year, Irwin’s ‘Peeps’ were exhibited in the Shrewsbury Sculpture Trail and in the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair’s ‘Art Trail’. Between 2022 and 2023, Irwin's 'Peeps' were showcased at Trinity Buoy Wharf in London, representing a pivotal moment in her artistic journey. In 2021, Irwin exhibited at Tremenheere sculpture with the solo show ‘Playing with Thought’ - the outdoors sculpture remained in-situ until 2022. Irwin's solo show 'People Play' was held at The Piece Hall in 2020, while in 2018 she had a solo at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park. In 2017 Irwin won the Contemporary Art Trust prize. GJG held Irwin’s solo exhibition ‘ A Playground for the Overwhelmed’ in August 2025.