Queen Of Colour Nat Bowen On Finding Fulfilment Through Art

One could be taken aback when meeting Nat Bowen for the first time. Statuesque and stunning in appearance, the one-time model and fashion designer seems to float through the air as she warmly welcomes MOJEH into her new home in Jumeirah. Cool, calm and connected, the British artist is living her best life after recently moving to Dubai from London with her husband. “I love life in Dubai,” she enthuses. “I live right next to the beach, I can see the sea from my bed which is a dream, so I get to have a dip in the water every morning before I start work which is good for the soul! Also, waking up to guaranteed sunshine every day is much more motivating than the grey skies of London and the quality of light here is ideal for when I’m painting in the studio. I have my studio at home in Dubai which wasn’t the case in London, so I can structure my working day better and be more efficient. The weekends that I’m not painting I usually spend with my husband enjoying the beach, going for brunch or dining out. The weekends feel like mini vacations here and we are spoilt for choice when it comes to restaurants.”

 

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Applauded for her abstract resin art and recognized for her rich, multicolored paintings, Nat’s pieces have been shown in the Saatchi Gallery in London and at international shows in Miami, New York, Hong Kong and Hamburg to name a few. On arriving in Dubai, Nat didn’t waste any time and hit the ground running, holding her inaugural Queen of Colour exhibition in Dubai last month. The UAE’s creative scene flocked to ME Dubai to see her resin artworks in action. The exhibition was in collaboration with British car manufacturer McLaren, and saw Nat’s art works layered on the body of a McLaren Artura, the brand's first hybrid supercar. “The beginning of my relationship with McLaren started in 2019 when I was living in London and the Design Director of McLaren, Robert Melville, reached out and invited me to visit the McLaren Technology Centre,” explains Nat. Fast forward to her arrival in Dubai, and Nat had some creative meetings with the regional team on how they could collaborate. It was agreed her upcoming show would be the perfect opportunity to do something special together.

 

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A graduate of The London College of Fashion, Nat had spent some time as a fashion designer before making the decision in her late twenties to take the leap and start creating art full time. “Before I started painting, as cliché as it sounds, I knew there was something missing from my life, and I felt suppressed,” says Nat. “I come from a family of creatives, so I believe creativity is in my genes and not expressing this side of me is like having wings but not using them to fly. I knew I had to revert to my creative roots in order to feel good in myself, so I started painting and it was a game changer for me in terms of how I felt day to day. I had come across a talk on YouTube around the same time called What Do You Desire by the philosopher Alan Watts which made me re-evaluate everything and ultimately changed my life by making me realise I could turn painting into a career if I was prepared to put the work in.”

 

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Nat’s studio is a just few floors up in her home and is as breezy and bright as the artist herself. Nat always has music or a podcast playing in the background when creating and says: “it helps me to switch off my mind and immerse myself in the act of painting. I love all sorts of music so what I have playing can vary from opera to hip hop. I prefer painting during daylight, but I have good lighting in the studio for when I feel like painting after dark. If I’m in a flow state, I can end up painting into the early hours.” Nat doesn’t need a mood board or much prep at all when in the studio, she always goes with her flow and paints according to how she feels in the moment. “So much of what I do is instinctive, and I have trust in myself,” she says. “When I connect with my emotions and convert them into colours in my mind’s eye I can often visualise a painting, so I have some idea what direction a piece might go in. But as my process is slow, with my large artworks taking months to create, I allow the painting to evolve along the way rather than trying to steer it down a particular path. I find I create my best works that way.” Never without a slick of bright lipstick and trouser suit (she collects them), Nat loves to observe the reactions of people when looking at her art works. “I don’t mind how people feel towards my art so long as they feel something,” she says. “I use colour as a way to express my emotions, but I don’t expect the viewer to feel the same way I did when creating the piece. It's deeply personal. People will have a response based on their own experiences and perceptions. I wouldn’t want everyone to feel the same.” The lines between her work and play time are often blurred as painting is such a huge part of Nat’s life. The use of colour is always there with Nat’s wardrobe and even her food choices are bursting with brightness. “The beauty of having my own business is that I can be flexible with how I use my time, so I can choose to take time off when I need to. I do find it hard to be away from the studio. It’s my happy place and I feel the desire to paint most days,” smiles Nat.

A Day In The Life Of Nat Bowen