Michael Riddle
Michael Riddle is a British painter based in London. His work brings together layered realities that unfold in a fluid, dreamlike space. By disregarding traditional perspective, Riddle creates visual environments where distinct worlds—folkloric and contemporary, childlike and ancient—collide and intertwine. These clashes are never abrupt; rather, they engage in an ongoing, subtle conversation that resists linear interpretation and invites emotional resonance.
In his most recent series, an earthy, spice-toned palette enhances the sense of something both grounded and mythical. The tones echo the visual language of pagan rites and rural folklore, while the surface is often broken with spontaneous marks or scratches that feel instinctive and intimate. These gestures don’t just suggest narrative—they hint at presence, memory, or something just out of reach.
Throughout his practice, Riddle’s paintings cultivate an atmosphere that is distinctly oneiric. Symbolic figures and emotional cues inhabit his compositions, suggesting internal landscapes as much as external scenes. His ability to balance textured materiality with lightness and ambiguity makes each image feel suspended between the seen and the sensed.
A self-taught artist working in oil and gouache, Riddle often uses family and friends as reference points—approaching them not as portrait subjects, but as actors stepping into emotional roles. His process begins with a particular memory or feeling, sometimes layered with symbolic imagery to offer the viewer an entry point, though interpretation is always left open. Personal connection takes precedence over prescription.
Distortion and exaggeration become tools to heighten emotional tone, pulling the viewer into the psychological space of the sitter. Riddle’s visual language shifts between realism and abstraction, with mark-making and surface playing a crucial role in carrying meaning. His aim is to catch those fleeting moments when the subject seems momentarily lost to their inner world—present in body, but mentally elsewhere.
His work has been exhibited widely, including with the Royal Academy, Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Royal Society of British Artists, New English Art Club, Royal Birmingham Society of Artists, and The Royal West of England Academy.
Instagram: @michaelriddleart
Words and photos by Adela Blanco