Taking us on a journey filled with teddy bears, bananas and sad-eyed superheroes, we step into the world of Sabrina Shaw, our latest spotlight artist. After completing an MA Painting from Royal College of Art in 2022, Sabrina works mainly in mixed media painting and sculpture, inspired by childhood memories, cartoons and the land of make-believe.

A recurring theme running through her work are groups of figures who don’t quite fit. Not-quite-human, not-quite-animal, her characters include googly-eyed food, plastic figurines and faded Disney heroines. Each seems to be looking out at us, looking in.

As in any good story, the artist aims to bring elements of suspense and surprise to her narratives, while also referencing her British, Chinese and South Asian heritage. Created with layers of paint incorporating fabrics, paper and texture, the result is a distorted vision, playing with recognition, distance and place.