Artist Profile: Lally MacBeth

Having lived in Ireland and London, artist Lally MacBeth currently resides in her colourful home in Cornwall. She studied Fashion History and Theory at Central Saint Martins, and now works as an artist and photographer. She is also a blogger and, more recently, has begun writing a cookbook. I had the pleasure of seeing her exhibit at The Glorious Art House last year, where she and her mother, Penny MacBeth, filled the space with their vibrant creations.

“I’m fairly fluid when it comes to creating things,” Lally explained. “All my work tends to start with photography that I then either collage or paint on. I tend, in the initial stages, to have a theme or concept and then let it grow as I work. The end of the piece is often the moment that it all clicks into place and I think ‘so that’s what it was all about’.

When I was little,” Lally continued, “my mum always encouraged George [brother] and I to paint, draw and make things, so I suppose I have always loved it. When I was a teenager I got very under-confident about making things, through a combination of bad teaching and peer pressure, so I completely ran away from it for a number of years. It was only when I was studying Fashion History at Central Saint Martin’s that I realised I really wanted to paint and start taking pictures again. Now I really can’t imagine how I stopped doing it for all those years!”

Lally’s artwork is infinitely heart-filling and eye-catching, and the inspiration she draws from colour and fashion is evident. Aside from her cookbook, Lally is working towards an exhibit inspired by Ithell Colquhoun, opening in October 2016 and titled ‘Ancient Scent’.

You can keep up with Lally’s work on her blog, or on Instagram.

Nickie Shobeiry