Tahnee Lonsdale is a British-born, Los Angeles-based artist whose paintings move between abstraction and figuration, guided by intuition, emotion and a sense of the divine. Working primarily in oil, her ethereal compositions explore the connections between the human and natural worlds, often allowing figures and forms to emerge instinctively through layered paint. In recent years, her practice has expanded to include ceramics, works on paper and sculpture, with her work exhibited internationally at galleries including Alexander Berggruen, Night Gallery and Perrotin.
For Sound & Vision 2026, Tahnee responds to the lyrics of Paul McCartney and Wings’ Band on the Run, finding in the words a sense of creation and divinity that closely reflects her wider practice. In our conversation, she discusses the role of intuition and emotion in her work, the freedom of allowing paintings to take their own course, and the opportunity to support War Child through a project that brings art and music together.
Could you introduce yourself and tell us a little about your practice?
I’m Tahnee! I’m primarily a painter. I work in oil and would loosely define my works as Abstract Figuration. The compositions meander from the abstract to the figurative unconsciously, sometimes holding both truths at once. In the last couple of years my practice has expanded to include ceramics and, in the secret of my garage, I have been experimenting with larger sculptures.
Revolution - Oil on linen, 36 x 48 in, 2026
Your recent solo exhibition, Walk With Us Into The Forest, explores interconnected, sentient feminine beings and our relationship with the natural world. How did developing this body of work shape your practice, and what role do intuition and emotion play in your painting?
Creating those works didn’t open up anything that wasn’t already there, but I allowed for the dissolving of line and a letting go of any preconceived compositions. The paintings made themselves. I tried my hardest not to get in the way. Intuition and emotion are one and the same for me. My emotions tell me a truth, if I am willing and brave enough to listen.
How did the line “Well, the rain exploded with a mighty crash / As we fell into the sun” inspire the work you created for Sound & Vision?
That lyric feels to me like it describes a moment of creation. Divinity. Which isn’t too distant from what I lean on when making my usual work.
Guardians - Oil on board, 21 x 15 cm, 2026
Sound & Vision brings together contemporary art and music in support of War Child. What does being part of a project with that purpose mean to you? And what else are you working on that you can share with us?
I’m honoured and grateful to be asked and have the opportunity to be able to help in a small and meaningful way.
Do you have any upcoming projects you can tell us about? What can we expect?
I have a few group shows coming up and I’m working toward a solo exhibition in London next year.
Visit Tahnee's Website
Questions by Hettie Shaw
