About
Tilly is a self-taught contemporary painter. The neurodivergent artist studied English Language and Literature at the University of Oxford (BA and MSt) before going into journalism. She left her role as a Senior Reviews Writer in early 2023 due to depression/burnout and began painting to support her mental health and AuDHD brain.
The public portion of Tilly’s artistic journey began in September 2023 when she launched her Instagram account @tillytrevitt. Since then, her work has featured in nine exhibitions. In January 2024, Tilly was selected as one of international art platform Artsted's ‘99 Future Blue Chip Artists' for 2024. Her painting Soul Dance is currently longlisted for the UK’s prestigious Visual Art Open 2024.
Influences are wide-ranging, including Philip Guston, Tracey Emin, David Hockney, Ken Done, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Joan Mitchell, Yoko Ono and the work of post-Impressionist painters such as Henri Matisse and Vincent Van Gogh. Tilly likes listening to Charli xcx, girli, Fred again, That Woman, Glass Animals, Juice WRLD, Yoste, Autre Ne Veut and Gracie Abrams, among others. Instrumental music and 'healing frequencies' are also popular choices for painting to. She reads widely, from psychology, philosophy and self-help to HEA romances, classic literature and poetry - as well as letters, diaries and interviews or writings from other artists in which they discuss their work and processes.
Tilly’s practice is centred on uncovering and reconnecting with neglected parts of her Self. Her work explores themes of identity, love, grief, womanhood, neurodivergence and mental health. She is an intuitive artist and strongly believes in art as play. Many of her works mix mediums and incorporate kids' art materials, collaged elements and/or finger-painting. This enables her to better access her inner child, teen and divine feminine.
As an AuDHD artist, Tilly's output can be very visually varied. She has multiple projects on the go and switches between modes of representation. Her figurative works are gestural and naive, aiming to recreate the innocence of children's drawings. Her abstract works are expressive, playful and vibrant. In more recent works, she has taken a more stripped back approach, incorporating grounding tones and elements of blank canvas space.
Tilly was formerly based in South London, with a studio in Herne Hill. She moved near to Stroud, Gloucestershire, in October.