Vanessa Raw

Vanessa Raw (b. 1984. Hexham, UK) is a British painter whose work weaves together intimacy, mythology, and the natural world. Her paintings draw on Greek and Mexican myth, depicting women and animals in enchanted landscapes that feel both ancient and otherworldly. Figures often merge with the land itself, surrounded by symbolic fauna and flora that carry layered meanings.

Her work is infused with a heightened, luminous palette, conjuring moments that seem to exist between waking and dreaming. Symbolic animals, from birds that suggest freedom to deer evoking grace and protection, wander through her compositions, guiding the viewer through spaces that feel both personal and universal. The landscapes often draw on photographs taken during her daily runs, a meditative practice that deepens her connection to nature and transforms lived experience into imagined realms.

Submitted by Carl Freedman Gallery