Hello! I’m Lou Thomas and I am a Cardiff based artist. I graduated from Cardiff School of Art and Design in 2017 with a 1st class (hons) degree in Illustration and I graduated with an M.A in Illustration and Animation, acheiving a Distinction, also at Cardiff School of Art and Design. I work intuitively with a wide variety of materials from paper, fabric, plaster, paint and latex to bark, leaves, branches, water and the wind. I try to keep my materials as natural and raw as possible and carefully consider the appropriate material for each piece of work. Which ever material I use I work a lot with cut outs, this enables my work to be entangled with nature and for the natural world to be seen through the work. Using cut outs also creates the opportunity for language to be immersed in natural surroundings which I use to explore how this creates a connection between written language and the living world.

I investigate the use of light and shadow in my work, which the cut out method also works well with. I often situate my work in the natural environment which creates exciting and unpredictable collaborations with forces of nature. I record these interactions with film and photography. An area of research for me is how we can use language, symbols and art to connect us to nature. My research explores the animistic and powerful nature of words and their potential for aiding re-connection to nature through collaboration between language and forces of nature. I am also researching the ‘re-wilding’ of the human through art and language. I explore this by making films where language is combined with my art work interacting with natural forces to create unexpected metaphors, meanings and connections.

During my Masters studies at CSAD I worked on a trio of poetic films which were then woven together as 3 acts of a complete narrative short film which explored audio, music and the voice much more than I have previously within my art practice. My films are a collaboration of my art work with natural sounds, my voice, poetry, storytelling, songs and music inspired by the areas I visit and work in. I am also continuously researching what nature is, where it begins and ends, if indeed it does. I am exploring our relationship to the technology we create and how our technology relates to the technology created by other beings in the living world. I am interested in and influenced by the art, methods and ideas of indigenous culture and am aware of and growing in greater awareness of how the knowledge of these cultures is essential to the survival and happiness of the living world.

Take a look at my Instagram account @artistlourthomas which I use as a blog where you will find current updates about what art and writing I am doing, interesting walks I go on and my up to date ideas. Thank you for visiting and I hope you enjoy seeing my work!