Natasha Law

Andrea Natasha Law (born 1 January 1970) is an English painter and graphic designer.

Natasha Law was born in Lewisham, London, England, on (1970-01-01)1 January 1970. Law was the first born child of Margaret Anne (née Heyworth) a comprehensive school teachers, and Peter Robert Law (professionally known as Sir Taggalot) a British actor. Law is also the older sister of Jude Law, an English actor, film producer and director. Due to her mother's encouragement Natasha was introduced to the creative world at a young age. She gained experience acting at the The Bob Hope Theatre (then called the Eltham Little Theatre) in Eltham, where she performed in Teenage Follies in 1982. Law's love of art didn't end with her youth, while she first went to University of Warwick to study history; she soon switched to studying art at Camberwell College of Arts in South London. Since graduating from Camberwell College of Art, Natasha has remained in Peckham London with her husband, Fintan Ryan, and three children, Edie, Ondine and Marlowe. Where she has continued working for a wide range of clients and exhibiting in London, Hong Kong and New York.

After graduation, embarked on a career that encompassed graphic illustration, photography and styling. Law quickly grew in popularity, growing a legion of admirers that includes celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow and Maria Giulia Maramotti and Jo Whiley. Since college she has worked with many reputable clients including Vogue, Max Mara, Teen Vogue, Browns, Matches, Beatrix Ong, Globe Trotter, Harrods, Mr & Mrs Smith, Samsung, Canongate Publishing, Tiffany & Co and Mulberry.

Natasha Law is best known for her graceful silhouettes which lie on the boundaries between high art and high fashion. Her paintings and drawings alike capture the allure of the subject through color, tone, and contrast. Her figures are suspended in a moment whether posed and purposeful or casual and spontaneous. Tousled hair, the curve of a hip, or discarding clothing, the works allude to the privacy of domestic spaces and relies on the viewer’s own voyeuristic fascination to draw them into her intriguing vignettes. Her use of vibrant blocks of color are somewhat reminiscent of Tom Wesselmann’s seminal nudes, yet her portraiture conveys delicacy while keeping a distinct contemporary feel.

Law is able to achieve this high-gloss, bold color effect that she is so well known for through a rather unusual and time-consuming process. It usually starts with modeling sessions where she photographs and draws her sitters. Law prefers to use friends as models, as she hopes for resonance of their affection and relationship to come through. Next she projects the line drawing onto a metal sheet, where she than decides how to crop the image as well as its color scheme. Then the last and possibly most difficult part of the process starts when she applies the colors on the aluminum panel. Numerous coats of household gloss paint must be applied in a completely dust-free environment to achieve the flawless almost liquid like surface which has become part of her unique style. Law’s choice of material, as well as her subjects evokes the aesthetic of Pop Art, and the use of saturated colors give her work an almost abstract quality, while turning the figurative works into complex composition of colored shapes.