Read’s work is defined by the use of flat, vibrant colours and precise, clean lines, resulting in distinctive geometric compositions. Her early background in graphic design has significantly shaped her practice, leading her to experiment with geometric abstraction in various ways. Read’s seemingly simple hard-edged shapes on canvas and paper are deceptively complex, as her works explore spatial relationships between compositional elements and utilise negative space to great effect. Rather than focusing on filling the canvas, she emphasises the interplay between form and void, creating a dynamic tension that focuses on what is present and what is left unsaid. Key figures in modern abstraction, such as Josef Albers, Peter Halley, and Bridget Riley have hugely influenced Read’s practice. Their exploration of colour theory, hard-edge painting, and optical effects can be seen in her work.

 

A central theme in Read’s work is her response to the space around her. Her compositions often reflect the interaction of different architectural styles, using geometric shapes to evoke the structural forms found in modern and traditional architecture often found in the city around us. This sensitivity to the architectural landscape—combined with her attention to colour arrangements and hard-edge forms—underscores her interest in how space, both physical and abstract, can be shown through non-representational geometry. Read’s gradient works continue her exploration of colour theory. The process allows her to discover which colour combinations she finds most pleasing, and will continue to work with throughout her practice.

Constance Read (b. 1996) lives and works between London and Norfolk, England. She holds BA (Hons) Graphic Design, Central Saint Martins (One academic year at School of Visual Arts, New York). Constance was the artist in residence at Central Saint Martins and attended the Royal College of Art for MA, Print. Solo exhibitions include Love is a Pink Cake, Haricot Gallery, London (2024); The Chaotic Forms of an Organised Mind, Haricot Gallery, London (2023) and Polychromatic Rainbows, Boundary Street, London (2022). Group Exhibitions include In Colour, Haricot Gallery (2024); Art on a Postcard, curated by Vittoria Beltrame, The Bomb Factory, London (2024); You Can’t Always Get What You Want, Haricot Gallery (2023); The Damage is Done, Battersea (2022); Under the Same Sky, Peckham (2021); Tankers and Pumpers, London (2020).