"A completed painting is a living, breathing organism. Everything joins together to create it.
I want my viewer to experience that universal connection."
The RSA House. 6 May-6 October
Lilia Orlova-Holmes is a contemporary artist known for her expressive brushwork and intense use of colour. Lilia’s paintings are invigorated by nature. Lilia began exhibiting in London in the 90s. In 2012, she made a move to Kent, after realising her work required quiet contemplation and an intimate connection with nature. Since then, she has treated painting as an immersive experience, encompassing every aspect of her life. For Lilia, the process of painting goes further than putting brush to canvas: long walks through nature, tending to her garden, and achieving a quiet repose are all key to her work. She sees her painting as an independent form of life which she helps bring into existence.
Lilia has had a number of solo exhibitions, including
The Joy of Colour at the John Davies Gallery (2022),
Expressions of Colour, at Carden park, curated by Grant Ford (2023),
Impressions undone, George Northwood Salon, Fitzrovia, London (2023),
Flowers, Winsor Birch Gallery, The Vineyard, Berkshire (2024), Brushstrokes in Bloom at The Little Gallery in Marlborough (2025).
Lilia’s work is an incredible dash of light which leaves the viewer stunned. Each painting bursts from the canvas, reminding you gardens can overflow. Her Reflections is a reminder of the dense, murky life multiplying in every pond. The Hedge of White Roses screams in white. Trees depicts a solitary, noble sort of life, lost to time. Viewing Lilia’s paintings, it is hard to imagine life was ever hemmed in.
A selection of paintings can be viewed at The RSA House from The 6th of May.
Open to visitors from 8am-8pm Monday to Friday.
The RSA House. 8 John Adam Street, London, WC2N 6EZ