Bio
Emma Dunbar is a British painter whose colourful, expressive work draws inspiration from the everyday joys of domestic life and the natural world. Based in Hampshire, her art is filled with warmth, spontaneity and bold, graphic charm.
Using a rich palette and flattened perspective, Emma captures objects, interiors, landscapes and animals with a playful and harmonious energy. Her work reflects a joyful celebration of the world around her, from favourite mugs on the kitchen table to boats in a sunlit harbour.
History
Emma trained in Fine Art Printmaking at the West Surrey College of Art and Design. Her early interest in print techniques still informs the structure and clarity of her compositions today.
She has exhibited widely across the UK, with regular shows at Byard Art and other leading contemporary spaces. Her paintings have been reproduced as cards, prints and homeware, and her work is collected both nationally and internationally.
Emma’s artistic influences include Mary Fedden, Milton Avery, and the folk traditions of European decorative art – all visible in the lyricism and warmth of her own visual language.
Style & Technique
Emma Dunbar works primarily in acrylic on board, layering vibrant colour and pattern to create compositions full of rhythm and delight. She often starts with drawings and colour notes from everyday life, which she develops into stylised arrangements in her studio.
Her use of flattened space, outlined forms, and bold contrasts gives her work a lively, illustrative feel. Objects are rendered with affection and character, whether it’s a jug of flowers, a coastal cottage, or a cluster of fruit on a plate.
The charm of Emma’s work lies in its clarity, lightness and celebration of the familiar, offering viewers a renewed sense of joy in the simple things.
