Creativity blooms late for 86-year-old artist Rose Wylie

By Kwon Mee-yoo

Rose Wylie, 86, is a relatively rookie artist compared to her age. In 2010, British news outlet The Guardian described Wylie as "Britain's hottest new artist" and she has shot to stardom by holding exhibitions at the Tate Britain in 2013 and the Serpentine Sackler Gallery in 2017.

Wylie's childlike-looking paintings have arrived at Choi & Lager Gallery in Seoul. Titled "Clothes I Wore," the exhibit features some 22 prints, paintings and drawings of Wylie centering on her memories of her old dresses.

In her “Girl Now meets Girl Then” series, Wylie brings out a variety of clothes she wore during different times in her life ― from a bathing suit with a pair of goggles as a child to a black frock bought with the money she earned by babysitting but never wore ― and revives them in her playful line drawing style. The drawings in her sketchbooks are enlarged and printed, then hand-colored and collaged by the artist.

Jari Lager of Choi & Lager Gallery is one of the people who discovered Wylie's talent early and introduced her to the world.

According to Lager, though it is widely known that Wylie made her artistic debut in her senescence, Wylie is professionally trained in art, studying at the Dover School of Art from 1952 to 1956 and having earned her master's degree at the Royal College of Art in 1981.

"Though she studied art, she had to put it down to take care of her family. Her husband was also an artist, Roy Oxlade, who passed away in 2014. After her children all grew up, she was able to start her own artistic career," Lager said.

"In a sense she has always been active in art as she continued to draw and teach art. It is like she took a professional break for a while and began a more professionally oriented career in the 2000s as her passion grew."

Lager said memory is a big theme for the British artist. "She collects stories from her notebooks, looking back on herself. Most of the ideas come from her memories as well as newspapers, movies, sports and animals she encounters," he explained.

Currently, a major exhibition on Wylie is on view at David Zwirner Hong Kong and another big show is slated to open in December at the Hangaram Art Museum at the Seoul Arts Center. Lager said this exhibit is like a preview to the December show, giving a glimpse into Wylie's artistic world beyond its seemingly picture book appearance.

Lager said Wylie's drawing style in fact comes from highly sophisticated and academic training. "She developed her own visual language by 'unlearning.' For instance, her drawing of a spider might look childlike at first, but a child would never draw a spider like this. It is a result of strongly observing the subject and interpreting it in her own way," Lager said.

The curator said Wylie could be a great inspiration for people as she is a symbol of hope for those wanting an active elderly life with an exciting career.

The exhibit runs through Feb. 18.