Artist Bio

Candice Tripp (b. 1985) is a UK-based South African artist living and working in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Employing childhood motifs, Tripp explores human behaviour and interaction. Through a lens shaped by her fascination with narrative, symbolism and psychological tension, she reimagines modern pack mentality and groupthink by presenting subjects as credulous characters reminiscent of folklore.

She levels her aim at the rationales people construct to justify their motivations and personal ethics. Her work examines how these justifications appear when the fuller picture is absent, revealing what is left standing when the house of cards ultimately falls flat.

Working in both oil painting and sculpture, she presents raw, sobering themes as childhood interactions and narrative forms, playing with literality and the unvarnished truth, and explores how these might appear if conveyed by a child with only the barest facts. Tripp is interested in how our choices, ethics, and motivations look when the grey areas are removed.

“It is the litmus test of a good artist to be able to communicate a commentary without being overwrought. Tripp’s ability to portray the leitmotifs of good and evil with balanced symbolism and subtle wit demonstrates her embodiment of this quality.”
~ Lainya Magaña for Hi-Fructose magazine

While originally recognised for her richly detailed oil paintings and three-dimensional sculptures, Tripp’s practice has expanded to include etching, sculpture and large-scale installations. Her art crosses into other formats too; she created the award-winning cover art for Arrow Video’s re-release of the cult film Donnie Darko, as well as the vinyl soundtrack cover for Julia Ducournau’s Palme d’Or-winning film, Titane.

She has exhibited widely across the UK, Europe, the US and Asia, with solo and group shows at respected galleries including Copro Gallery, Black Rat Projects, Modern Eden, Bangkok CITYCITY Gallery and Lazarides Gallery. Her inclusion in the inaugural Bangkok Art Biennale (2018), along with exhibitions curated by Juxtapoz and Hi-Fructose magazines, has helped define her as a key figure in contemporary dark surrealism and pop-inflected outsider art.

Exhibition Highlights

• 2024: Exhibited via Copro Gallery at the LA Art Show, and in group shows in Chicago, San Francisco
• 2018: Participated in the inaugural Bangkok Art Biennale
• 2017: CITYCITY Gallery installation with Souled Out Studios, Bangkok, Thailand
• 2013: Collaboration I’m Never Shopping Here Again with artist Giles Walker, Black Rat Gallery, London
• 2010–2012: Featured in Los Angeles exhibitions celebrating Hi-Fructose and Juxtapoz anniversaries (Copro Gallery)
• 2009: Presented her first solo show, Tiny Drama at Joshua Liner Gallery, New York
• 2008: Solo exhibition Home Is Where the Telly Is at Lazarides Gallery; included in Lazarides’ Outsiders show, London

View full exhibition archive →

Tripp’s distinctive visual language remains unmistakable: playful yet macabre, emotionally rich and visually unsettling. Her distinctive blend of narrative, darkness, and delicacy has earned her international recognition and a loyal following, securing her place as a singular voice in contemporary art.

Jewellery

After discovering wax carving, jewellery felt like a natural progression. Her jewellery collection acts as an extension of her art; turning her dark, childlike subjects into miniature, wearable keepsakes. She personally carves each design in wax before having it cast in sterling silver. Recently, she has started to practice stone carving.