Rosa Sepple

Rosa Sepple is a highly regarded British contemporary artist best known for her colourful, character-driven mixed-media works that fuse painting and collage into richly textured visual narratives. Her distinctive, expressive style features whimsical figures and surreal settings, often imbued with humour, personality, and emotional insight. Each of her compositions is a celebration of individuality, portraying the quirks of human behaviour and domestic life with vibrant colour and dynamic energy.

Born in London to an English mother and an Italian father, Sepple's artistic path was strongly shaped by her family's creative background. Her grandfather was a professional painter, and her father worked as a Venetian mosaicist. This exposure to visual arts and craftsmanship from an early age gave her both inspiration and a practical foundation in creative expression. Though not formally trained through a traditional academic route, Sepple honed her skills independently, developing an intuitive, experimental approach to her work that reflects her bold artistic personality.

Rosa Sepple began her professional art career in the early 2000s, quickly establishing a distinctive visual language. Her work typically incorporates a combination of watercolour, ink, and collage, which she layers to create depth, movement, and texture. This mixed-media technique allows her to craft immersive, theatrical scenes populated by expressive, often exaggerated characters in playful, dreamlike environments. Themes in her work frequently revolve around relationships, everyday rituals, and the inner lives of her subjects-all conveyed with wit, empathy, and a strong sense of narrative.

Sepple's rise within the British art world was swift. In 2004, she was elected a member of the Royal Institute of Painters in Water Colours (RI), one of the UK's most prestigious art institutions. In 2017, she broke new ground by becoming the first woman in the RI's 188-year history to be elected as its President-an historic milestone in both her personal career and the broader art community.

Her work has been exhibited extensively in the UK and abroad, with shows at prominent venues including London's Mall Galleries and regular appearances at leading national art fairs. Rosa has built a devoted following among collectors and her art can be found in a range of private and corporate collections. Her paintings are admired not only for their technical innovation but also for their emotional richness and playful exploration of the human experience.

Sepple's ability to balance artistic sophistication with broad accessibility has made her one of the most compelling figures in British contemporary art. She continues to evolve her practice, exploring new materials and formats while staying true to the colourful, storytelling style that defines her work. Her sharp eye for observation, combined with an unmistakable visual flair, ensures that her pieces remain fresh, relevant, and joyfully distinct.

Today, Rosa Sepple lives and works in the UK, where she continues to create work that captivates and delights. Her bold use of texture and colour, coupled with her commitment to originality and humour, cements her place as a leading figure in the contemporary art landscape.