Annie Ralli

Obtaining her Degree in Fine Art at the Birmingham College of Art in 1973, Annie moved from props maker at Birmingham Rep Theatre to Dresser at the BBC’s Pebble Mill. In 1976 she moved to London and worked with the BBC for 10 years as a scenic artist. Her scenic art ranged from large backdrops to small detailed paintings with the subject matter being anything from photo realistic to bold abstract.

Since leaving the BBC she has worked primarily with photographers on advertising campaigns and editorials. Her work here has varied from intricate trompe l’oeil backgrounds, landscapes and portraits to textures and paint finishes. Recently, she has had increasing amounts of mural work and specially commissioned paintings for private clients. Her present series of abstract paintings were developed from a piece commissioned last year. Annie’s private client asked for the “vibrancy” and “buzz” of the London streets by night and got exactly that. She started this series with a typical photograph of London’s Oxford Street as a guide and used an iconic red bus as the painting’s feature. In the conversion from photo to abstract painting she added bold colours, blurs and urgent movement, whilst keeping the essence of the photograph intact.

Her unique stylised paintings are recognisable to all, Londoners and tourists alike. From familiar city wide hot spots to the solitary texting youth, each piece is a stylised and unique snapshot of the city that we all know.

Since her first commission she has painted a series of acrylics on canvas using the same modified photographic technique.