The Irish artist’s mixed media works are concerned about what thinking and feeling looks like, and are a direct response to having our movements restricted during lockdown

Tell us about your latest artworks – I believe they were inspired by Proust?
I’ve always loved the Marcel Proust quote about developing new perspectives; “My destination is no longer a place, rather a new way of seeing.” While we couldn’t travel very far, or at all during lockdown, Covid-19 gave us a chance to slow down, stop and think…. We were afforded some time and space to reflect. Our nature is to be empathetic, we just needed the chance to look at things through the eyes of others.  We came to see the world differently and eventually, acknowledge a new reality This is the subject for my collection.

Do you have any favourites, if so, which one and why?
“Just The Warmth Of The Sun” [above] is my favourite piece from the exhibition. It felt pivotal at the time and as such informed many of the other pieces. It’s only a small painting but it gave me a lot of confidence. It sent me chasing the idea of micro-reflections and how they cumulatively build our view of the world. They often go unnoticed and I wanted to shine a light on our instinct to be humble, thoughtful, connected and compassionate.

Where and how do you work?
I work from a studio in Chapelizod village and a small attic space in my house. The studio is great as it helps me maintain some discipline. I commute and keep office hours like anyone else.

As for the attic, in the evenings as I can wander upstairs if inspiration strikes. I do more preparatory work there, sketching and experimenting before taking ideas to the studio. Like many artists, I use a variety of mediums and surfaces. Oil, acrylic, ink, pencil and wax on canvas, paper and board – depending on what I need and what I have.

I try to maintain a restless dissatisfaction and am happiest when my practice is evolving. While my work remains essentially representational, I’m more interested now in what thinking looks like and what feeling looks like. I probably spend as much time now just observing, allowing the important things to reveal themselves. I’ve no idea how that works, I just know when something hits me in the feels.

Has your work been influenced by other artists or muses?
Continually! In fact I have to monitor my self-talk as I can easily become overwhelmed and intimidated by the brilliance of others.Whenever I want to centre myself I go back to my greats … Jenny Saville, Egon Schiele and Banksy. I just love their bravery and get the sense they’re more interested in seeing what they can do, rather than showing what they can do.

Debbie Chapman is pictured with Brian Bowler, general manager of The Montenotte Hotel, Cork

Need to Know: Debbie Chapman’s paintings are now on exhibit at The Montenotte Hotel Cork until January 2021, as part of the hotel’s artist in residence programme to support Irish artistic talent; www.themontenottehotel.com All Chapman’s paintings are available to purchase from www.thegallerykinsale.com