Nicola Bealing was educated in England and Malaysia. She studied at Herts College of Art and Design and the Byam Shaw School of Art in London.

She is a member of the Newlyn Society of Artists, Cornwall, The Chelsea Arts Club and Porthmeor Print Workshop.

She has won various awards including The National Open Art Competition, Selector's Award, Royal West of England Academy, BP Portrait Award, National Portrait Gallery and First Prize in the Millfield Open Exhibition among others.

Her work can be found in major Collections including: The Unilever Collection, London, Deutsche Bank, London, The Jerwood Foundation, London, The Embassy of the Sultanate of Oman, London and Prudential plc.

“Figure” is an exhibition featuring painting in which the human form is the principal feature or inspiration.

Artists have drawn, painted and carved the image of the human figure in many diverse ways since the first stone age painters depicted primitive hunting figures on cave walls. Life drawing is the classical method of learning how to draw and most fine art experts consider this to be the truest and most authentic way of learning how to depict the three dimensional shape and contours of the human body.

The human figure constitutes the fundamental element not only of portraiture, but also of historical, religious, mythological, and genre imagery. Figure painting can register a likeness, but it can also serve as a vehicle for conveying narrative and expressing emotion. With impressionism and symbolism, the figure became less a representational vehicle and more an aesthetic device by which artists demonstrated the virtuosity of their paint handling and evoked mood.

The diverse work in this exhibition illustrates the ongoing artistic endeavor to explore the nuances of representing the human figure.