Ellis King is a contemporary British figurative artist whose work explores the raw and complex realities of womanhood. Through emotionally charged portraiture, she creates space for stories often left untold—those marked by vulnerability, strength, silence, and resistance. Her bold yet intimate style blends realism with abstraction, confronting the patriarchal narratives that continue to shape women's lives.

Born in Norfolk in 1989, King studied art and photography at GCSE and A Level before earning a degree in English Language and Linguistics at Queen Mary, University of London. She went on to build a successful career in charity marketing while continuing to paint in her spare time. In 2019, following the birth of her son, she returned to art with new urgency—using painting as both a personal refuge and a protest against the systemic failures that too often surround women’s experiences of care and motherhood.

In 2020, King began pursuing art professionally. Her work quickly gained recognition for its emotional depth and powerful feminist voice. In 2022, she exhibited with Prince & Pilgrim in Richmond, later joining Thompson’s Gallery, London, and Clifton Fine Art in Bristol. In 2025, she was selected to appear on Sky Arts’ Portrait Artist of the Year, further cementing her reputation as a bold and uncompromising voice in contemporary figurative painting.

She lives and works from her studio in Norwich, and her paintings are held in private collections across the UK, Europe, Canada and America.

Ellis King (b. 1989)
Social: @elliskingart
Email: hi@ellisking.co.uk

Press and Publications

2025 – Artist Interview, “How Ellis King is Exposing the Realities of Modern Womanhood”, Arts To Hearts Projects
2025 – Artist Series Blog with Heath Kane
2025 – Artist Series – Ellis King, by Heath Kane
2022 – Podcast Guest, The Flying Fruit Bowl
2021 – Cover Design & Illustration, The Food Fighters E-Cookbook
2020 – Window Design, Bread Source, Norwich

Art Fairs

2025 – Manchester Art Fair, Manchester
2025 – The Other Art Fair, Truman Brewery, London
2024 – Manchester Art Fair, Manchester
2024 – Affordable Art Fair, with Clifton Fine Art, London
2024 – The Other Art Fair, Truman Brewery, London
2023 – Art Fair East, St Andrews Hall, Norwich

Exhibitions

2025 Silicon Gods, Ministry of Sound, London (Group Show)
2025 With Heath Kane, Saffron Walden
2024 Late Summer Exhibition, Holton Lodge Barn
2024 Thompson’s Annual Exhibition, Thompson’s Gallery, Aldeburgh
2024 Summer Exhibition, Prince & Pilgrim, Richmond
2022 Contemporary Art, Brick Lane Gallery, London
2022 Humans – Strength and Frailty, The Yare Gallery, Great Yarmouth
2022 New Artist, Boomer Gallery, London
2021 Nostalgia, The Holy Art, London
2021 Facade, The Holy Art, London

Awards

2025 Longlist, Women In Art Prize
2024 Selected Artist, 100 Emerging Artists, Arts To Hearts Project