Ruby Read

Ruby Read is a London based oil painter whose work centres on portraiture and the human figure. Her self-portraits confront romanticised ideals often imposed by society, offering a more grounded and self-aware perspective. She draws inspiration from vintage postcards, retro hairstyles, fashion spreads, and the cinematic atmosphere of classic British film.

Ruby is deeply engaged with the materiality of paint. She sculpts thick, impasto-like textures onto the surface using bold, exaggerated colours, embracing a physical and expressive approach. Her layered technique reveals the energy of her process and evokes the spirit of artists such as Emilio Villalba and Frank Auerbach.

Born in Shrewsbury, Shropshire, Ruby is now based in London, working from her studio at the Royal College of Art in Battersea, where she is currently completing her MA in Painting. She earned her BA in Painting from Camberwell College of Arts in 2024.

Ruby’s creative process is shaped by personal relationships and her observation of people. She is influenced by both everyday interactions and the stylised, sometimes surreal sensibilities of artists like John Currin, blending representation with a heightened sense of character.

“My work delves into a dreamlike world where colours are exaggerated, and paint is thick, rich, and icing like.”

6 questions with Ruby Read

We ask our emerging artists 6 questions to uncover what drives their work, practice, and creativity.

What themes or questions do you find recurring in your work?

I really admire the way John Currin paints there’s a book of his work called Men that features these beautifully grotesque, bulbous caricatures. I’m fascinated by caricature in portraiture: how it captures likeness, exaggerates personality, and incorporates humour. I love funny paintings. No one does impasto like Emilio Villalba, in my opinion. His paint is so thick it’s practically sculptural, his subjects feel like they could melt off the canvas. They’re the epitome of sweet, sickly, and artificial. I’m also a collector of things that belong in groups: vintage postcards, novelty erasers, matchbox covers, and other little treasures. Aesthetic inspiration comes from vintage film stills, fashion magazines, and old-school hairstyles these feed directly into the styling of my work.

Can you describe a pivotal moment in your journey as an artist?

Doing my master’s at the Royal College of Art has easily been the most pivotal moment of my practice so far. It’s introduced me to a creative community that keeps me grounded and motivated in the chaos that is the art world. The conversations in those studios are unmatched there’s this intense, electric energy. With 150 painters all deeply passionate about their individual crafts, it’s an endlessly inspiring and supportive environment.

What materials or processes are most important in your practice - and why?

The materials most essential to my practice are the classics: oil paints, hog-hair brushes, gesso, and canvas. When oil paint is applied semi-thickly, it takes on this plasticky, artificial sheen that I find incredibly satisfying. It feels like the perfect medium for my process. I work in an almost traditional way, starting with a burnt umber ground and building up tone from dark to light. But unlike traditional painters, I load my brushes heavily, creating ribbons of colour that weave through each stroke. This exaggerates hues in a way that feels silky, bright, and at times, garishly sweet.

How do you want people to feel when they experience your work?

When people experience my work, I hope they feel a sense of human connection and relatability but also something a bit uncanny or strange. I paint people, often myself, aiming for honest representations. Yet, through my process the colours, the texture, the artificiality of the surface the figures begin to feel detached, like plastic dolls, or Play-Doh scenes, or elaborately iced cakes.

What does a typical day in your studio look like?

A typical studio day is always shifting, but right now, it’s pretty intense. I arrive around 10 a.m. and work straight through, with only a short break for lunch, leaving around 6 or 7 p.m. During that time, I’m immersed in making. I do quick ink drawings, paint, bounce ideas off my studio mates, and build my scrapbook alongside my paintings. It’s filled with bits of ephemera, old black and white postcards, receipts, sketches, all the paper trails that come with making. Studio days fly by. I usually tidy up before leaving, write a to do list for the next day… and more often than I’d like to admit, neglect to wash my poor brushes.

What dreams or hopes do you have for your artistic journey?

Looking ahead, I hope to keep mastering my medium, keep telling stories, and maintain a sustainable, ever-evolving creative practice. I want the freedom to experiment, to travel maybe do a residency or paint in Japan someday. I’d love to show my work in some weird and wonderful buildings, be part of interesting collections. As long as I’m making, in some shape or form, I’ll be satisfied.

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