If awarded the £10,000 bursary, I would use the funding to expand the material, conceptual, and community-focused scope of my practice by developing a new body of work grounded in Darlington’s cultural, ecological, and geological landscape.
A key part of this development would be taking part in workshops focused on making natural pigments and paints. This has been a longstanding ambition in my practice and would allow me to embed the physical presence of place, through soil, stone, or flora, into the very materiality of my work. These processes would deepen the scientific and ecological narratives that inform my paintings and drawings, opening new pathways for experimentation.
Practically, the bursary would support the purchase of specialist materials such as large-scale wood panels, conservation-grade paper, and archival oils, enabling me to create more ambitious work. I would prioritise sourcing materials from Darlington-based suppliers wherever possible, ensuring that funding also benefits local businesses. I would also rent a larger studio space to accommodate this shift in scale and invest in lighting, framing, and high-quality photographic equipment to professionally document new work.
I would allocate funding toward professional development, including mentorship sessions with established artists and curators, portfolio consultations, and short courses in ecology, anatomy, or art history to support deeper research. I would also produce a printed catalogue or zine to accompany the final exhibition.
Based in rural Northern England, I often work in isolation from major art institutions. The bursary would allow me to take research trips to London, to visit places like the Natural History Museum and National Gallery and build professional connections with galleries and curators.
I would also make multiple trips to Darlington, connecting with local artists and interviewing residents to gather folklore, superstitions, and ecological knowledge. This community-informed research would help shape a symbolic visual language endemic to the area’s identity.
The resulting body of work would be exhibited locally, celebrating Darlington’s natural, mythological, and cultural richness. This award would be transformative, enabling new material processes, larger-scale work, and meaningful professional and community engagement.
My practice merges folklore, ecology, and anatomy to create surrealist oil paintings and ink drawings that blur the boundary between human and animal, myth and science. Rooted in storytelling, explores how place shapes identity and imagination.
If awarded The Dover Prize, I would develop a body of work of large scale surrealist paintings grounded in Darlington’s cultural and natural landscape. Through collaboration with local artists and interviews with willing residents, I would gather stories, superstitions, and personal mythologies. I am particularly interested in how these narratives, often passed down informally, reveal a town’s shared symbols and subconscious. This would be supported by research into Darlington’s geology, flora, and fauna, informing a symbolic visual language unique to the area.
The result would be a new body of work with its own iconography, one that speaks directly to Darlington’s past and present. The final exhibition, hosted locally, would celebrate this collaboration and research, offering a space where the town can see itself reflected through myth, material, and imagination. By creating work that is site-responsive and community-informed, I hope to raise the profile of the creative arts in Darlington and contribute meaningfully to its evolving cultural identity.
My practice explores figures that are neither fully human nor animal, hybrid beings blurring the boundaries between character and creature. Drawing equally from folklore, superstition, and scientific inquiry, I merge ‘fact’ with ‘fable’ to create surreal, symbolic worlds. Folklore becomes a framework through which I examine the ecological, geological, and anatomical layers of experience, weaving together myth and scientific understanding to explore the interconnectedness of body and land. These figures inhabit uncanny landscapes shaped by personal memory and collective archetypes. Forests, mountains, and rivers from my childhood return as sentient, watchful environments. Animals, particularly dogs that provided silent, soulful companionship in my youth, appear both as literal figures and as self-inserts, grounding my work in intimate narrative and natural history. My work often takes the form of surrealist oil paintings, usually on wood, paper, or canvas, alongside proprietary drawings using ink and watercolour. Raised in a remote countryside surrounded by mountains and lakes, I developed a deep connection to nature’s raw power and fragility. This relationship shapes how I depict the natural world as alive, responsive, and complex. I am fascinated by scientific parallels, bones as bedrock, rivers as circulatory systems, and animal forms as archetypal symbols, using these as lenses to interpret experience. In preparatory sketches, I incorporate organic materials such as seawater/river water, embedding each piece with the physical presence of place. These materials leave subtle, memory-like traces beneath the oil paint, reflecting the layered nature of ecological and geological time. Through this fusion of narrative, science, and matter, I create modern myths, visual fables that probe thresholds between human and non-human, seen and sensed. My work invites viewers into liminal spaces where instinct, memory, and landscape converge, revealing nature not as passive but as conscious and deeply participatory. Recent exhibitions include ‘Beyond the Prize’ at Mall Galleries (2025), ‘POST//FUTURE’ at Delphian Gallery, Saatchi Gallery (2025), ‘ART COLLECTIVE: From the One to the Many’ at Saatchi Gallery during the 22nd London Design Festival (2024), Paralélle at Paralélle Contemporary, Montreal (2025), and the digital exhibition Find Your Place at Arteom Gallery, shown in Times Square, NYC (2024).
I have a First Class Honours in Fine Art Painting from the University of Brighton 2024 (2021-24) (Undergraduate Degree)
I have been honored to have received/have been nominated for several professional awards and residencies that have played a vital role in my artistic growth. Most notably, in 2024, I was awarded the Mawddach Graduate Award Residency, which provided me with dedicated time and space to develop my practice intensively. This residency also offered valuable opportunities to engage with a vibrant community of artists and creatives, fostering meaningful dialogue and collaboration.
In addition, I was shortlisted for the Crinan Residency at Mall Galleries in 2024, a prestigious opportunity associated with one of London’s key art institutions. This lead to exhibiting will Mall Galleries in the future. In 2025, I was longlisted for the Jackson’s Art Prize, which highlights contemporary emerging artists and provides visibility within the art world. I was also shortlisted in the Delphian Gallery X Clovermill Residency program, ranking in the top 15, an opportunity known for studio support and mentorship which lead to me being invited to exhibit with Delphian Gallery at Saatchi Gallery.
Finally, I was proud to be nominated for the Freelands Painting Prize as the University of Brighton’s nominee and for the Graduate Platform Award, both platforms celebrating and supporting emerging talent.
Yes, I am actively involved in organising self-created professional opportunities that have allowed me to develop my skills as both an artist and a curator. Since 2023, I have played a key role in organising exhibitions with artist-led groups such as the DOGFIGHT Art Collective, curating shows at venues like Phoenix Art Space, Brighton (2024), and The Queery, Brighton (2023). These projects have enabled me to collaborate closely with fellow artists, manage exhibition logistics, and engage with local art communities to foster creative dialogue and visibility for emerging artists.
In 2023, I also co-curated The Debutantes at WhiP, Brighton, which focused on showcasing new voices and experimental practices. These experiences have strengthened my organisational skills, from coordinating artist contributions to overseeing installation and promotion.
Currently, I am developing a duo show that will take place at Spazio HASITA in Milan, an exciting project that I have initiated, featuring in and am curating. This opportunity allows me to explore international collaboration and professional exhibition management on a new scale.
Through these self-driven projects, I have gained valuable insight into the operational side of the art world, building networks and creating platforms that support artist-led innovation and community engagement.
Yes, my artwork has been featured in several respected publications and platforms. In Tate Etc, Issue 64 (Winter 2024), and Frieze, Issue 247, my work was included as part of ART COLLECTIVE: FROM THE ONE TO THE MANY, a group exhibition by The London Art Collective. Both features explored how artists collaborate while maintaining distinct perspectives.
FAD Magazine featured the group show The Seahorse Versus The Axe, which I was part of. The exhibition looked at contrasts between strength and sensitivity, and my piece was included for the way it approached these ideas through symbolic imagery.
In Croyds Gallery Issue 01, my work was featured among emerging artists working across experimental practices, with a focus on personal narratives and unconventional materials.
I also exhibited in (Leopard)ism, a digital group show curated by Dimmi Taburets, which explored the blurred boundaries between the human and animal. My piece responded to this theme by examining instinct, transformation, and the tension between control and wildness. These features have played an important role in expanding the visibility of my work and the conversations around it.
(in current conversation with The London art Collective about this matter)
I was awarded the Mawddach Graduate Award Residency 2024, which took place in April 2025 on the Welsh coast. This residency offered a unique opportunity to develop my practice in a focused and inspiring environment surrounded by stunning natural landscapes. The Mawddach Residency is a recognised scheme that supports emerging artists by providing time, space, and resources to experiment and deepen their work outside of the usual studio setting.
This experience has been crucial in shaping my current projects, allowing me to take risks and expand my creative approach. The residency not only provided practical support but also connected me with a wider network of artists and professionals, which continues to benefit my career development. Overall, the Mawddach Graduate Award Residency was a pivotal moment in my artistic journey.
Email: daviesellie792@gmail.com
Address: Corner House, Langwathby, Penrith, Cumbria, CA10 1LW, GB
Local Authority: Westmorland and Furness Council.
