Solo Exhibition - Toni Cogdell | Chelmsford
ABOUT THE ARTIST | TONI COGDELL
Toni Cogdell is a British painter who was born in Bristol, England, in 1979. Toni’s figurative portraits have captured the eyes of many, including British Musician, Goldie who connected so deeply with Toni’s works that he added a piece of hers to his growing collection. She has received a number of awards, including the RWA 'Emerging Artist' award. The Royal West of England Academy (RWA) is one of only five Royal Academies of Art in the UK. Toni was also short listed for Channel Five TV's, 'The Big Art Challenge', and was a Finalist in 'Not the Turner Prize', The Daily Mail, 2003.
Overview | about FEATURED WORK
This body of work exists in a reflective space, exploring the mystery and pull of creative drive in our everyday lives—how it shapes and reshapes us.
"I find myself looking back to artists who made art their lifeline, stepping beyond the constraints of their time. They followed the ambition bird without question, embracing both its gifts and its thorns, even when the path felt nonsensical. I wonder what space this creature—this force—might hold for others. I hear them whisper, “Keep going. Follow that bird.” And in that moment, I feel less alone. Perhaps that is the kind of courage we need now: to keep making art. So I paint for them. What is art, where does it come from? It’s from that 2am night cry, that bird rattling against its cage, wanting more, wanting to transform, as if it might set itself alight in an eruption of spontaneous flame to become a phoenix. It’s a call, a hunger. This bird as a phantom, metaphor and truth visits me like an affirmation, and somehow painting after painting emerges from the dusty clay shell of my studio" - Toni Cogdell.
