Clare Thackway's paintings capture moments of stillness where gesture, gaze, and atmosphere carry emotional weight.
Clare Thackway's paintings centre on the human figure, which she uses as a site to explore emotional and psychological states. Her compositions often present solitary figures set within intimate interior spaces, where gestures, posture, and gaze become key elements in communicating tension, vulnerability, or quiet introspection. Patterned fabrics, drapery, and symbolic objects frequently appear within her work, creating layered compositions that draw attention to the relationship between the body and its surrounding environment.
Working within the tradition of figurative painting, Thackway combines careful observation with a heightened sense of atmosphere. Her use of colour, pattern, and surface creates spaces that feel both familiar and slightly surreal, allowing narrative and symbolism to emerge gradually. Through this approach, her paintings explore themes of presence, intimacy, and psychological complexity, inviting viewers to consider the emotional dynamics that unfold within seemingly everyday scenes.
Clare Thackway (b. 1992, Canberra, Australia) is a figurative painter who lives and works in Paris. She studied at the Australian National University, completed an exchange at the Glasgow School of Art, and graduated with Honours in Fine Art from the National Art School, Sydney. Thackway's paintings explore the emotional and psychological dimensions of the human figure, often incorporating symbolic motifs, patterned textiles, and charged interior spaces. She has exhibited internationally across Australia, Europe, and Asia, including exhibitions in Sydney, Melbourne, London, Paris, and Shanghai. Thackway has been a finalist in several major Australian prizes, including the Archibald Prize, the Sir John Sulman Prize, and the Doug Moran National Portrait Prize.