Image credit: Sarah Larby / courtesy of Brave Projects
Catherine Long is an abstract painter whose work is driven by a deep engagement with the physicality of paint and the expressive potential of colour. Drawing from her background in contemporary dance, Long creates dynamic paintings that explore the visceral impact of gesture, rhythm and haptic sensation. By foregrounding the embodied experience of perception, her work invites a sensorial encounter that draws viewers into a richly layered world of history, patina and resonance.
Central to Long’s practice is an exploration of how colour can evoke sensation, atmosphere and perception. Her large-scale oil paintings employ layered colour relationships and a tactile, gestural application of paint that expresses the rawness and sensuality of bodily experience. Through processes of layering, revising and erasure, Long creates complex compositions that encourage viewers to participate in the formation of meaning. Her work investigates the power of colour, gesture and sensation to generate emotional and perceptual resonance.
Long’s multi-disciplinary training in dance and fine art shapes her distinctive approach to movement and image-making. She holds an MA in Painting from the Royal College of Art (2024), alongside a BA (2006) and MA (2010) in Dance from De Montfort University and a PhD in Fine Art from Chelsea College of Arts (2017). She also spent two years on the Turps Art School Studio Painting Programme (2021-23), further refining her approach to colour, materiality and gesture. Her work has been exhibited at Huxley-Parlour, LBF Contemporary, Gillian Jason Gallery, Verdyun Gallery and Matt Carey-Williams. She has undertaken residencies at Porthmeor Studios, Chisenhale Studios, Siobhan Davies Studios and PADA Studios.
Education and professional development
2024 – MA Painting, Royal College of Art, London
2023 – Turps Art School Studio Painting Programme, London
2017 – PhD Fine Art, Chelsea College of Arts, University of the Arts London
2010 – MA Dance, De Montfort University – Distinction
2006 – BA (Hons) Dance, De Montfort University – First
Selected solo presentations
2026 – After the Fire, Huxley-Parlour, London
2025 – Heart Takes Flight, Wilder Gallery at Lucent, London
2016 – In the Eye of the Beholder, Chelsea College of Arts, London
Art Fairs
2025 – Untitled Art Miami Beach, Huxley-Parlour, USA
2025 – The Armory Show, Huxley-Parlour, New York, USA
Selected group exhibitions
2025 – Sight Lines, Hurst Contemporary, London
2025 – La Patte, Huxley-Parlour, London
2025 – Existential Licence, Friary Road, London
2025 – LBF @ the Lake Vol.II, LBF Contemporary, Muskoka, Canada
2025 – The Sway of Form, Gillian Jason Gallery, London
2025 – PAPER, Huxley-Parlour, London
2025 – In Dialogue with Ilse D’Hollander, Verduyn Gallery, Belgium
2024 – Scene V: Pas de Quatre, Matt Carey-Williams, London
2024 – Royal College of Art Painting MA Degree Show, London
2023 – Ripe bananas!, Turps Leavers Show, London
2023 – Recreational Grounds VII, Wendover House car park, London
2019 – Captives of Habit, The Old Police Station, Deptford X, London
2019 – Material Gestures, Art Licks Weekend, London
2018 – In Whose Eyes?, Beaconsfield Gallery Vauxhall, London
2016 – We all have a problem with representation, The Showroom, London
2015 – Feminist Practices in Dialogue, Institute of Contemporary Arts, London
Selected performances and screenings
2023 – With flowers and my love, performance, Recreational Grounds VII, Wendover House car park, London
2021 – The body keeps the score mark II, durational performance, Chisenhale Art Place
2019 – Beyond the Body, Wolf Cinema, Berlin
2018 – The Body Keeps The Score, durational performance, Beaconsfield, London
2016 – Arthritic Dances, performance, The Showroom, London
2012 – Artists Moving Image, Curzon Cinema, London
2012 – Towards Common Ground, Bread and Roses Film Festival, London
Residencies
2025 – Porthmeor Residency Programme, Porthmeor Studios, St Ives, Cornwall, UK
2021 – Percolate research residency, Siobhan Davies Dance, London, UK
2021 – Studio4Summer, Chisenhale Art Place, London, UK
2019 – PADA Studios, Lisbon, Portugal