Shani Rhys James: Caught in the Mirror, Connaught Brown

Shani Rhys James is emerging as one of the hottest British exports to the contemporary painting world and with this Connaught Brown exhibition at the heart of Mayfair, now's the time to discover what all the fuss is about.
Strength, rawness and a feminist outlook have all made Shani Rhys James' paintings immensely popular, from powerful self-portraits and still lives to interiors.
The self-portrait in particular is a favourite recurring theme for James, who uses upfront candour and thick impasto colours to tackle issues around sexuality, domesticity and womanhood. But these images are just as concerned with composition and subject as brash surface. Take a closer look at Lilies on red wallpaper and you'll discover the inner self as well as the decorative space, which James believes, women are still consigned to. Expect too some quieter, toned down interiors that resemble a Francis Bacon or Lucian Freud, which is one of James’ new directions.
The winner of several prizes, Shani Rhys James is certainly a talent to keep an eye on.