I am a UK based artist, trained in illustration at Norwich University of the Arts. I live and work in the English countryside, however it was a visit to Los Angeles which has had the most influence on my work. I became fascinated by the dramatic neon marquees of movie theatres and huge outlandish signs which adorn the building facades along Hollywood Boulevard. I think it is perhaps because there is nothing remotely similar in the UK, that I have been painting the landscapes of Los Angeles ever since. 

Recently I have been painting scenes from closer to home, finding a lot of interest in depicting the classic British festival experience; mud, rain and all. My childhood was filled with festivals, funfairs, and carnivals all over the country. Perhaps the nostalgia of festivals is specific to my experiences growing up, but I think the more likely truth is that everyone can feel comforted by the glow of a food truck across a dimly lit muddy field. I have translated some of that emotional response into these pieces. While there is a foundation of realism within my work, I am most interested in creating an image which seems like a moment in time, highlighting the quiet beauty of the scenes which I depict. In my experiences at British festivals, I think there’s a sense that regardless of the weather, which is always a gamble, people still intend to have an incredible time no matter what. Even if your tent did flood or your wellies did fill with mud, there’s always a fish and chip van around the corner and a band about to play.

I have exhibited across the UK, as well as the USA. This includes exhibitions with the New Light art prize at Scarborough Art Gallery, the Society of Women Artists and ING Discerning Eye exhibitions at the Mall Galleries in London, Gallagher and Turner Gallery in Newcastle, a duo-show with artist and musician Horace Panter at According to McGee Gallery in York, and a group show in Los Angeles with Gallery 1988.

Imogen Hawgood is an artist and illustrator based in the North East of England, trained in Illustration at Norwich University of the Arts. Working with oil paints, her recent work has been inspired by trips to California, where she became fascinated by the iconography of the American West. More recently, however, Imogen has been finding inspiration closer to home, finding intrigue in painting classically British fairgrounds, seasides and festivals. She has exhibited across the UK, as well as internationally, including Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles. Imogen was one of the final 50 artists shortlisted for the British Art Prize 2024 and 2025 which exhibited at London Southbank’s Oxo Gallery. She has also exhibited with the New Light art prize at Scarborough Art Gallery, the Society of Women Artists and ING Discerning Eye exhibitions at the Mall Galleries in London, exhibitions at Gallagher and Turner gallery in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, and a duo-show with artist and musician Horace Panter at According to McGee Gallery in York.