Emma Woolley is a Birmingham-based portrait artist/director exploring intimacy, connection, and the space between us.

As a Birmingham portrait artist, I paint moments that sit between feeling and form, quiet, human spaces that hold intimacy, strength, and vulnerability. My portraits are instinctive and raw, created through bold mark-making that searches for truth in every face. Each painting is both a record and a reflection of connection.

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Works

  • A black and white abstract sketch of a woman with closed eyes and lips slightly parted, resting her chin on her hand.

    Sleeping

    Medium: Nitram compressed charcoal, willow charcoal
    Substrate: Fabriano Accademia paper
    Size: 59.4 x 84.1 cm
    Year: 2025

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  • A colorful abstract portrait of a person wearing glasses, with short hair, painted with bold brushstrokes and vibrant colors.

    Russ

    Medium: Oil paint, Sennelier oil sticks, charcoal
    Substrate: Fabriano Tela Oil heavyweight paper
    Size: 65 x 50 cm
    Year: 2025

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  • A colorful portrait of a person with green hair, wearing large glasses, resting their face on their hand with a contemplative expression, painted in an expressive, abstract style.

    Drift

    Medium: Oil paint, Sennelier oil sticks, charcoal
    Substrate: Fabriano Tela Oil heavyweight paper
    Size: 65 x 50 cm
    Year: 2025

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  • Abstract painting of a woman's face with her head tilted back, showing her nose, lips, and chin, with expressive brushstrokes and vibrant colors.

    Rise

    Medium: Oil paint, Sennelier oil sticks, charcoal
    Substrate: Fabriano Tela Oil heavyweight paper
    Size: 59.4 x 84.1 cm
    Year: 2025

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  • Colorful abstract painting of two women facing each other, with one holding a smartphone, using bold brush strokes and vibrant colors.

    The Space Between Us #05

    Medium: Oil paint, Sennelier oil sticks, charcoal
    Substrate: Fabriano Tela Oil heavyweight paper
    Size: 65 x 50 cm
    Year: 2025

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Emma Woolley on the Creative Nowhere Land Podcast

Listen to my conversation with Matt Wilson on the Creative Nowhere Land Podcast. It is an honest look at the journey behind my work, how painting came back into my life and why it matters so much to me now. We talk about creativity, emotion and the stories that shaped the paintings. If you want to hear more about the person behind the work, you can listen through the link: 

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