Laure Dubanet (Lockdown Dancers 71)

Carl Chapple

Originally from Dartmoor, after studying painting at St Martin’s School of Art, London, Chapple lived and worked abroad for a number of years, including time in Greece, Turkey, the Czech Republic and Italy, where they drew a great deal and developed further his interest in Classical and Renaissance painting and sculpture. 

Returning to the UK in the mid-90s, Chapple joined several South London life drawing groups, and began working almost exclusively from the nude. 

Since moving to South Wales in 2003 he has continued to work from life, though shifting his focus to portraiture in around 2012 - initially making a series of paintings of musicians, and later working with comedians, actors, and other stage performers. Drawing on his backgrounds in both portraiture and figure painting, during this period Chapple worked with several dancers whose artistry and discipline changed the direction of his practice.

In 2017 Carl became artist in residence with the international dance company Ballet Cymru, working in rehearsal spaces, theatres, and his painting studio. This relationship is ongoing. 

During the 2019 and 2020 Covid lockdowns Chapple experimented a good deal with dancers across the UK and overseas, exploring ways to collaborate remotely and create paintings and drawings via Zoom and video sharing.