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Marissa Weatherhead
Marissa Weatherhead is an artist known for her imagined ‘tablescapes’ that are laden with seafood, fruit and flowers, along with the odd bottle of wine. The colours are vivid and joyful with the intention of evoking an anticipation of the impressive meal in front of you as you gaze out onto a beautiful backdrop. Marissa holds an MA from the Royal College of Art in London and a first-class BA in Fine Art from Gloucestershire College of Art and Design.
Her current collection, named ‘A Table by the Sea’, is being exhibited from 2nd March to 17th March 2024 at the Biscuit Factory in Newcastle – one of our partners. This independent art gallery houses works from both emerging and established artists in a building that was once a Victorian biscuit factory.
As we celebrate International Women’s Day on Friday 8th March, we asked Marissa a few questions about her work and female representation in the art world to help us shine a spotlight on some of the talented women we are proud to work with.
”A Table by the Sea” Marissa Weatherhead
Collection is being exhibited at the Biscuit Factory until 17th March 2024
Was becoming an artist something you had always aimed for, or was it a career you fell into?
I have always loved drawing and painting and can remember creating with paints and pencils from an early age. Art has always been a part of me and always will be. I love creating and miss it when I’m away from my studio! I started my artistic career in Dublin with a foundation course and then went on to study Art for a further six years.
Your work is often influenced by cubism; what is it about this movement that inspires you?
I love the cubist movement with its playing of space and fragmentation of objects. By flattening objects and disregarding the long-held European role of a single viewpoint, they were able to use differing angles. For me, this is hugely exciting as it opens up multiple possibilities and allows a sense of freedom to prevail through working and reworking the painting.
”Two Lobsters” Marissa Weatherhead
Are there any particular female artists that you take inspiration from?
When I was a student at the Royal College of Art, I was very fortunate to have Paula Rego as one of my visiting tutors. She was so enthusiastic and passionate about art, with immense insight and imaginative power. I love the quality of drawing in her work – the darks and light that reflect the narrative.
This year’s International Women’s Day theme is ‘Inspire Inclusion’. Do you feel the art industry already champions this philosophy, or are there barriers to be broken down?
I think the art industry is working really hard to ‘Inspire Inclusion’. There are always challenges to be met at any level in an industry, and constant re-assessing and questioning are needed to drive change, and it’s happening, but there is always more to be done.
You currently have an exhibition, ‘A Table by the Sea’, showing at the Biscuit Factory in Newcastle. How did this collaboration come about?
I was aware of The Biscuit Factory via the internet, and we started corresponding last year with this exhibition in mind. The team there have been amazing in their attention to detail and have worked so hard on my behalf, curating, installing and promoting my work. I am so grateful to them all.
”Summers Day” Marissa Weatherhead
Wine bottles and wine glasses regularly feature in your paintings. As your tablescapes are entirely imagined, do you have any specific wines in mind when you create a piece?
Yes, my tablescapes are imagined, but they start with a memory of a moment. The wine bottle and glasses are used as a celebratory reference to a given time or location. The pop of a wine bottle being opened is such a lovely noise and evokes the anticipation of the wine itself, and just like anything, wine can bring back a memory of a place. For me, a chilled white burgundy takes me back to France on a summer’s evening eating al fresco, or a rich, fruity and velvety Primitivo has that Italian association.
During your time spent at the Biscuit Factory, have you had the chance to try any of the Corney & Barrow wines? If so, which ones have you enjoyed?
I am planning to visit the Biscuit Factory in early March and the menu at the Biscuit Factory Kitchen looks amazing! It will be a treat to have a glass of wine, and I am looking forward to sampling the Corney & Barrow range.