Meet: Breanna Gordon
- Written byGiada Maestra
- Published date 07 May 2026
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We caught up with Camberwell College of Arts alumna and artist Breanna Gordon to hear more about her time at college and her current creative practice, on the occasion of her first solo exhibition at Tache Gallery in London.
Hi Breanna! Tell us a bit more about yourself and your background.
I’m a Canadian/British artist specialising in oil painting. I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Ontario in 2020, then I completed my MA Fine Art in painting from Camberwell College of Arts in 2023.
You studied an MFA in Painting at Camberwell College of Arts, UAL, graduating in 2023. How was your time at UAL? Were you already working with painting before starting the programme?
I’ve been painting since I was a child, and making art has always felt like a safe space for me to explore.
I had a great experience as an international student at UAL. During my BFA I was able to get my technical painting ability to where I wanted it to be before taking on the MA. I felt a big creative shift at Camberwell because I finally felt empowered to get super vulnerable about the work I wanted to make. I think moving abroad alone naturally forces you to spend a lot of time with yourself and it caused me to really look inward, which is how my art started to become a vessel for describing my experience with anxiety.
Was the approach to the course and teaching at Camberwell different from your studies in Canada? If so, in what ways?
From my first day at Camberwell, I could feel this buzz of energy and commitment from the students which was a very exciting transition for me beginning the MA. Being surrounded by so many artists who were so driven and dedicated to their practices made me feel the pressure to approach art making differently than I had before. To be in the company of people who excelled in different art forms, with unique interests and talents and feeling like I was a part of something bigger was the most magical thing ever. Having peers to go to shows with and push each other’s ideas during crits was so important to me. I think the nature of being an artist can be quite isolating, so getting to share a space with people who could both challenge and support each other was a beautiful thing that my course mates and I reminisce about all the time.
Tell us more about your practice. Do you have a studio?
I do have a studio currently in Canada. My studio is a spare bedroom in my parent’s house which I am so grateful for! While at UAL I took advantage of the space and made some large scale work, and now I’ve scaled down a bit - you really just have to go with the flow as an artist and take advantage of every space and what it offers while you have it. I’ll be returning to London this summer, where I’ll be joining the city-wide hunt for a studio which I’m sure will be a challenge but I’m ready for it!
You exhibited your work at Tache Gallery in London last April - congratulations! What kind of work was displayed?
Thank you so much! I feel so grateful to be able to have had my first solo show in Central London. I’ve had such an amazing experience working with Tache on this exhibition. ‘Introspect’ is a culmination of my work from 2022 - present. I’ve never actually seen all my paintings in the same space until now, so it’s been interesting to see how they interact in ways I hadn’t realised before. The exhibition ties together themes of mental health, female experience and pop culture humour to address the nature of anxiety and treats art making as a tool for healing.
How did you and the gallery meet?
Tache reached out to me after seeing my patterned works at the Camberwell Postgraduate Show in 2023. They expressed their interest in my pivot towards the ‘Darker Works’ collection which is heavily influenced by the Italian Baroque era. I think my deviation from my patterned series felt like a step out of my comfort zone, so their encouragement emboldened me to delve into the darker style further. I think when you make art you are ultimately just making it for yourself because it feels like you have to and something is compelling you to make it. I’m not always thinking about how it will be received, so for Tache to see something in it felt good. We’ve been planning ‘Introspect’ for over a year and they’ve gone above and beyond to involve me in the whole process. I can’t speak highly enough about their team and can’t wait to see what emerging artists they showcase in the future.
What are you working on at the moment, and where are you currently based?
I’m currently exploring the idea of the body as a manifestation of lived experiences. I’m interested in finding ways to visually articulate anxiety on the body’s surface and spirit through pattern. I felt a transformation in my work when I made "Burn Cycle" and I’m excited to explore that deeper when I can get back in the studio.
I’m currently based in Canada but will be moving back to London this summer. It’s the kind of city that’s hard to stay away from for long!
Is there anything you’d like to say to painting students who are interested in pursuing a career in the art industry?
You have to commit. Commit to yourself, your art, the process. Remember that nothing worth it’s ever easy!
