Born in 1986 in Sydney, Australia. P. G. Preece studied graphic design at university and left before completing her degree to work in science research. In recent years, she became a self-taught painter working with acrylic on canvas. She lives and works in Sydney and is best known for her graphic design/illustration-inspired portraits, figures and landscapes.
P. G. Preece’s work is about the experience of the individual; how, even when we are with other people, in reality we are alone with our circumstances in life, our thoughts and our emotions. In her portrait and figure paintings there is only ever one person per canvas, emphasising the experience of the individual. In addition, the individual is often portrayed as a part of their surrounds, or more accurately, their surrounds or background as part of them. The portrait and figure paintings show a person in a landscape or interior, and the landscape paintings show what such an individual sees and experiences. These landscapes typically contrast nature (trees and the sky) with urban structures (buildings and paths), and in this way reflect the contemporary experience of living in cities. These works evoke a deep sense of introspection and of being alone, and yet, there is also a sense of possibility and wonder.
P. G. Preece’s work is inspired by contemporary graphic design and illustration on the one hand, and modern movements in painting – Post-Impressionism, Fauvism, Cubism and Expressionism – on the other. She often uses prominent lines and layers in a way that blurs the boundaries between elements in a painting, a person’s face and their environment for example. In addition, she often uses a limited colour palette that is symbolic of the individual’s experience. The artist works from memory and imagination, sometimes using her sketches as source material.