Collection:

Lydia Merrett’s (b. 1994) practice centres on experiences of womanhood, spanning drawing, painting and printmaking, with a focus on representing the female figure through works that convey strength and endurance. Earlier paintings, often influenced by sporting contexts, used dynamic mark-making and saturated colour to express physical intensity. Following eye surgery in March 2025 for horizontal diplopia, and a brief experience of single vision, her work shifted significantly; she now paints directly from her lived visual perception rather than correcting it, embracing its instability as both challenge and direction. Drawing remains central as a generative and analytical tool, supporting her exploration of movement, from muscular dynamism to optical shifting, while a sustained engagement with the sensorial qualities of paint continues to drive her investigation of bodily presence.

Education

MFA Painting, University College London 2021 - 2023

BA (Hons) Fine Art, Goldsmiths College, University of London 2013 - 2016