Casey Gutteridge
This April, Canadian native, TRATE, will be unveiling his latest series of works, Technicolour Malaise, to the London art scene. The third solo show of his figurative works will showcase his haunting aesthetic and embody his ability to capture human sensibilities in a deceptively simple form.
Infatuated with how people's experiences and personalities are etched onto their skin, TRATE has developed a unique artistic ability to reimagine the human form and expose inner thoughts and emotions on canvas.
Acting as a counterforce to the aesthetics of the digital age where seemingly perfect images on social media weigh on our perception of existence, TRATE’s works offer a raw and humane lens to look at humanity.
Whilst pursuing a varied and nomadic path, TRATE has dedicated himself to honing his artistic craft for over two decades. Having struggled with dyslexia as a child, art ultimately became his chosen means of self-expression.
TRATE tried his hand at sculpture and woodwork as a teenager before being finally drawn to painting. After exploring different mediums, TRATE developed an organic affinity to oil-on-canvas. Using handmade paints mixed with large ratios of walnut, safflower and linseed oils, TRATE’s works are deeply textural; a single piece of work can take up to two months to dry.
The artist behind the alias, TRATE, has had a rather storied life with many years spent travelling and exploring different pursuits; from tree-planting in the harsh and remote forests of Northern Canada and spending several years doing humanitarian work with the UN in Mali to living on a farming commune near the Swiss Alps and working in finance in Buenos Aires, Mexico City and London. The vibrancy of these diverse experiences, distilled through his imagination, ultimately act as inspiration for TRATE's figurative works.
TRATE’s work depicts the rawness of the human condition through reimagined physical forms, oil-laden brushstrokes, and a vivid aesthetic - a humane antidote to the digital age.
TRATE will be virtually exhibiting the third evocative series of his works, Technicolour Malaise, from 9th April at www.aliastrate.com/virtualgallery.
