Imi Williams (b.1999) is an artist from London. She graduated from Camberwell College of Arts with a BA in Painting in 2021, and completed her MA in Painting at the Royal College of Art in 2024.
'My practice is dedicated to colour interplay and a process of layering. The painted surface goes through many transitions before forming the final piece, with each recorded moment being vital to the process, visible or not.
I am mesmerised by how painted colours respond to one another when placed next to or on top of each other in varying opacities, how they melt together or sit in contrast. I aim for the works to have an element of playfulness which is why I choose vivid colours and use thick, sweeping brushstrokes. Despite this, there is also a delicacy to the way I work and the paintings are meditative as they are playful. Colour is what seduces the eye and allows one to sink into the painted space, where it slowly reveals itself to the viewer.
I paint in thin veils to maintain a translucency in the layers, and my process involves concealing and revealing; I often wipe away applied paint to uncover prior brush marks, creating a dialogue between past and present states. The concealed and obscured marks exist beneath the surface like memories.
Soft and subtle gestures are present amongst bolder and more pronounced ones, tracing across the surface and overlapping. My gestures are slow and considered but simultaneously intuitive and often sporadic. The canvas is a site of exploration, offering a glimpse into both my subconscious thoughts and intentional actions. While elements including the order of colour application may be planned, the unexpected moments resulting from the organic process are what excite me.'