Tara Harris Original Artwork

Tara Harris (b. 1969, Birmingham, UK) is a contemporary painter based in Birmingham. She studied Fine Art at Bournville College of Art before graduating from Newcastle Polytechnic in 1991 with a BA (Hons) in Fine Art, specialising in printmaking. Following a career in arts education, Harris returned to painting full-time in 2024.

Her practice has gained recognition through a growing exhibition record, including selection for Outside In’s 20th Anniversary Exhibition, International Artist of the Year, and the Jackson’s Open Painting Prize longlist. Her work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions at venues including Espacio Gallery and Terrace Gallery in London, alongside international exhibitions and a duo presentation at Seventh Circle.

At the heart of Harris’s work is an exploration of the subconscious, where thoughts, emotions and memories emerge through landscape. Rather than depicting specific places, she uses the landscape as a visual language, transforming it into a reflection of personal experience. Each painting becomes part of an unfolding narrative of her life, while allowing viewers to bring their own memories and interpretations to the work.

An intuitive approach underpins her painting practice. Layers of colour, texture and expressive marks are built, obscured and revealed as each work develops. She allows the painting to lead, embracing uncertainty and responding to what emerges until the image reaches its own sense of balance