head study – chris

Richard Fitton is a figurative painter from Oldham with a BA (Hons) Fine Art Degree: First Class, from Loughborough University. He became the youngest ever member of the Manchester Academy of Fine Arts (MAFA) whilst still a student, and is considered to be one of the most exciting artists in the country.

Richard attempts to push boundaries and his own challenge is to move out of the comfort zone of what can be easily achieved. Richard is constantly searching, feeling and evolving new ways in which to convey his work. The paint, the quality of the brushwork and the immediacy of the lines that define the work is paramount. Each painting is a means to another. Another beginning, the potential always there, that is what drives him.

Artist’s Statement

I was born in Oldham, Greater Manchester, and have only ever wanted to be a painter. It is more than a job – it is simply who I am. Art classes with John McCoombs, the former president of the Manchester Academy of Fine Art, showed me how the dream was possible, and I later went to Loughborough University, gaining a first class degree in Fine Art. Studios in Sheffield and now Rochdale have given me access to new sitters, new surroundings and inspirations, all mixed with the day-to-day struggles, joys and tests we all face. I force myself into new experiences, my work is all about an emotional reaction to a subject or sitter and I need to generate stimulus and responses in myself to achieve satisfaction. My life never stands still. It can’t, it’s just not in me.