Overview
Emily Ponsonby
Emily Ponsonby is primarily known for working with beeswax, a technique which builds upon the Ancient Egyptians’ Encaustic process – buffing, binding and scraping pigment into layers of wax. The rawness and malleability of her materials are in harmony with the bodies she depicts amongst the everchanging topography and gnarly shores of the Southwest. 

Emily Ponsonby (b.1990) is a British painter and printmaker celebrated for her evocative depictions of the human form. Residing in Dorset, her work delves into the essence of nudity, nature, and our intrinsic connection to the earth.

 

Ponsonby's distinctive technique draws inspiration from the Ancient Egyptian encaustic process, involving the application of beeswax mixed with pigments. This method allows her to build textured layers, buffing and scraping the surface until her subjects emerge organically. The rawness and malleability of beeswax harmonise with the bodies she portrays, set against the ever-changing landscapes of the Southwest.

 

Ponsonby received training at the City and Guilds of London Art School, Leith School of Art in Edinburgh, and The Royal Drawing School in London. Ponsonby has exhibited extensively across the UK and South Africa, with notable solo exhibitions such as "Kettle of Fish" at J/M Gallery, London, in 2024, and "Bare" at Noho Studios, London, in 2019. 'A Warm Life Through Butter' marks Ponsonby’s second exhibition with GJG, following her participation in the 2025 group show 'The Many Within Her'. Her work has also been shown in exhibitions at the National Portrait Gallery as part of the Herbert Smith Freehills Portrait Award 2024, as well as at the Woolwich Contemporary Print Fair.

Works
  • Salted and Preserved
    Salted and Preserved
  • Warm Cockles and Green Soup
    Warm Cockles and Green Soup
  • My Heart Bleeds for You
    My Heart Bleeds for You
  • Buttered Greens
    Buttered Greens
  • The Chess Players
    The Chess Players
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Exhibitions
Press