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A Wirral artist will showcase her work at one of the UK's most prestigious art exhibitions next month after being selected from thousands of entrants.
Clare Chinnery has been shortlisted for the VAA Visual Art Open Exhibition 2026. Her floral painting, The Heart That Sheds the Brightest Light. She will travel to London on 8 October to exhibit the piece, as reported by Birkenhead News.
Her art style has been described as "floral punk art" – she combines traditional oil painting with spray paint to create bold, atmospheric works offering an unconventional take on floral imagery.
Her abstract art style explores light, shape and form, taking inspiration from Dutch Vanitas still-life paintings.
"It's an honour to be shortlisted for such a prestigious event, and I still can't believe it," Clare said.
She said, "The piece itself is inspired by the dark drama of 17th-century Dutch floral painting; the piece explores the tension between darkness and light, beauty and impermanence. Richly layered and expressive, the flowers emerge from the shadows with an intensity that feels mysterious yet evocative."
She continued: "The painting draws on the tradition of Vanitas and Memento Mori, where beautiful still life paintings served as reminders of the fleeting nature of life. Flowers, despite their beauty, are temporary; they bloom, fade, and eventually disappear. I'm interested in that contrast – the fragility and impermanence of life alongside its beauty and intensity. It is ultimately a celebration of colour, light and the fleeting moments of beauty that make life so precious."
Clare lives and works in Wirral and studied Fine Art Painting at Liverpool John Moores University, where she developed her abstract style, initially concentrating on abstract landscapes. She has since made flowers a motif in her work.
Her paintings have travelled further than Merseyside. She's had her work exhibited internationally and is part of collections in the UK, China, the USA, and New Zealand.
She's also exhibited at the Williamson Art Gallery in Oxton and The Atkinson in Southport. Also in the North West, her work has appeared at Manchester Art Fair.
