Julia Hawkins is a contemporary figurative artist based in Surrey. She completed an MA in Graphics and Illustration at the Latvian Academy of Arts and studied drawing at the Riga studios of Professor Vitaly Karkunov. She moved to the UK in 1990, after working for various publishing companies in commercial and editorial illustration. In 2016, she was elected member of Chelsea Arts Society; in 2017 elected member of the Royal Institute of Oil Painters; and in 2022 elected member of the New English Arts Club. She has taught at the Royal Academy of Arts and at the St Ives School of Art.
Julia is a subtle colourist with a fluid style, specialising in intimate scenes, landscapes and people who immediately surround her. The spontaneity and seeming lightness of her work is based on careful prior observation and the ability to capture the essence of the subject.
Julia states, " We live in a very curious time, not always joyful, and definitely challenging. I find it is especially important to preserve my human response, artistic skills and freedom".