b. 1984, Manchester, UK. Based, Texas USA.
Central to Waggett’s practice is the integration of precious metals and oil paint with found textiles. In her ‘Light Paintings,’ Waggett transforms these materials into multi-layered compositions that explore impermanence, displacement, and home. Using light as an external and altering factor—something she deems as “out of my control”—married with interpretations of classic European art, she creates something entirely new yet uncannily familiar. These artworks allow a place for quiet contemplation, they are not busy or hurried, but instead evoke a feeling of lasting calm.
Waggett's unique approach to still life is marked by a skillful revitalization of age-old artistic motifs. Each stroke and line contributes purposefully, leaving no element extraneous. The works pare down to the essential details of their subjects while her melding of traditional techniques with modern sensibilities remains, ultimately, committed to beauty. Often using her subjects, animals, as allegories for the female experience, Waggett navigates themes of feminine strength and resilience.
Building on her foundation in design, Waggett’s expertise allows her to bend the rules of her mediums, layering gold leaf and other metals into compositions that reveal new dimensions of strength and fragility. The process of marrying paint with metal is laborious and physical, requiring both power and innovation to layer and work into the surface of the canvas.
A U.K.-born, U.S.-based artist, Waggett studied fashion before continuing her postgraduate education in design at The University of Manchester. She has exhibited at galleries in New York, London, Paris, Los Angeles, Abu Dhabi, Basel, Miami, Hong Kong, Zurich, and Brussels. Alongside her collaborations with luxury brands such as Saks, Soho House, and Netflix, she has sustained ongoing partnerships with the UN’s Lionshare Fund, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy, and was notably commissioned by HRH The Prince of Wales in collaboration with the Prince’s Trust for its 50th anniversary.
After six years living and working in New York City, Elizabeth is currently residing and maintaining a full-time studio practice between Texas and France. She is focused on creating a body of work that delves deeper into the concepts of home and displacement.