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Jamie Gallagher began painting in 2017 following the loss of a close friend, initially as a tribute. Two years later, another friend passed in the same way, and Gallagher realised that painting had become a therapeutic process for him, helping him to navigate grief, stress, and life's complexities. His work, described as figurative expressionism, captures the human condition in a visceral and unsettling way. Through distorted forms and fragmented figures, Gallagher explores the tension between reality and the subconscious, inviting viewers to confront their own emotions and experiences.

His process is grounded in considered mark-making, with influences from abstract expressionism. He uses figuration to provoke personal responses from viewers, encouraging them to project their own interpretations onto the work. The balance between abstraction and figuration has been central to his practice, allowing him to walk the line between clarity and ambiguity. Gallagher finds the interaction between his intensely personal work and the personal reactions of others fascinating, as viewers often interpret his pieces without any awareness of his own emotional journey.

While some may initially find his work grotesque, Gallagher aims for viewers to engage deeply with the material details — the thick, sculptural paint, marbling, and textures. He encourages viewers to move closer to appreciate the abstract beauty within the details and step back to grasp the darker, visceral image created as a whole.

Artificial intelligence also plays a significant role in Gallagher's creative process. Initially using AI to generate new imagery, Gallagher later incorporated it to overcome a creative block, feeding older works into the AI and seeing them reimagined. This cyclical process, moving between analogue and digital, has become a core part of his practice. While Al contributes, the final pieces remain unmistakably his — critics and gallerists often remark that his AI works retain the signature marks of his hand.

Early in his career, Gallagher was moved by the deep connections people made with his work. His first collectors included an army psychologist, a newly diagnosed cancer patient, and a survivor of abuse, each of whom found personal meaning in his paintings. These encounters, in which people connected with his work on a visceral level, reinforced his belief in the power of art to create meaningful, emotional connections.

For Gallagher, painting is a highly physical process. His work involves heavy impasto oils, raw linens, and materials like gold leaf and diamond dust. He allows the materials to guide him, embracing instinctive mark-making and letting the image emerge through the process, rather than starting with a clear vision. His art often shifts between sensitivity and brutality, reflecting the more visceral aspects of life.

Since his first solo exhibition, Post Normality Reality Disorder, in 2018, Gallagher has exhibited in multiple galleries across the UK and US, and his work is now held in private collections worldwide. His paintings remain deeply personal explorations of the human condition, offering an invitation for viewers to reflect on their own inner states while engaging with his distinct visual language.

Follow for more on his Instagram.