Helen Beard’s (b. Birmingham, UK, 1971) work vibrates with movement and colour in a celebration of the erotic experience. Using a rich palette and different perspectives to accentuate intimate acts, her paintings are typified by their utilisation of sinuous brush strokes in a motion akin to stroking skin. This distinctive texture and technique brings movement and energy to her work, emphasising the joy of sex via the female gaze. A recent series, created after the breakdown of a long-term relationship, explores love and loss through the use of darker colours and the insertion of space between shapes to suggest feelings of separation and estrangement. This nuanced and abstract work has broadened Helen’s practice, describing the scope of human interaction beyond the purely physical.