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London based artist Curtis Holder works primarily in graphite and coloured pencil to create large-scale portraits and figurative works on paper. 

'I use line to investigate motivations, connections and conversations, working in pencil to create large portraits and figurative drawings. Whenever possible I draw subjects from life as conversation is the starting point of all my work. Through mark making I translate our dialogue into something more complex, presenting deeper layers of emotion while recording the passage of time together. My drawings emerge in a wayward series of febrile lines, which I layer to reveal form, movement and emotional intent. 

Preliminary marks remain on the paper, as I capture fleeting gestures and emotions. If the marks initially appear erratic, when resolved, the drawings convey calm and stillness. This contradiction encourages the viewer, myself included, to return to the work to unravel the threads leading to the core of the conversation. My subjects sit within large amounts of negative space. These compositions enable me to take up space in a way that I, and my sitters, feel unable to in daily life.'

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