Biography
Raised in Devon, Verity Amelia grew up painting and sketching alongside her grandfather, whose creativity deeply inspired her. She inherited his cherished painting tools and iconic red smock, a piece she still wears when she paints, carrying his artistic legacy forward.
Now based in Edinburgh, Verity presented her first solo exhibition, Girlhood, at Custom House in Leith in November 2025. Supported by the John Preston Trust, the exhibition brought together large-scale oil paintings and a participatory memory-tent installation exploring shared rituals, intimacy, and the emotional echoes that connect women across time.
Her work captures fleeting, everyday moments—casual conversations, shifting group dynamics, and the nuances of youth culture. She gravitates towards compositions with strong angles, rhythmic patterns, and quiet yet compelling narratives, exploring human interaction and the emotions that exist in between.
Working primarily in oil paint, Verity’s layered approach brings depth and atmosphere to her work. She blends traditional techniques with contemporary storytelling, offering a window into the complexities of modern life.
Statement
My paintings are not just portraits of people, they are narrative commentaries of unguarded scenes. I am inspired to paint fleeting moments, capturing the essence of ordinary existence often overlooked as mundane. Placing life-sized figures as the focal point, I weave intricate details throughout the painting to illuminate the characters and their narratives, inviting viewers to engage with the nuanced complexities embedded in each scene.