Meet the artists | Issy Wood

Ahead of her solo exhibition at Lafayette Anticipations, we visit the artist in her East London studio

Art Basel’s ‘Meet the artists’ series presents contemporary creatives shaping today’s cultural landscape

Artist Issy Wood stands as a formidable creative force, wielding a trifecta of painting, music, and writing to powerful effect. In this episode of ‘Meet the artists,’ we’re offered a glimpse of her prolific output in her East London studio, which is lined with works in various states of completion. ‘I make maybe three or four paintings at a time,’ she says, ‘So when one isn’t abiding by my rules, I can seek refuge in the other.’ Often framed as extreme close-ups, the imagery is visceral and intellectual, tender and eerie.

During the visit to both her painting and home music studios, we delve into the threads that tie her practices together, including power, identity, and relationships. However, as Wood observes, ‘If I had to find one overarching theme, it would probably be how terrifying desire is.'

Issy Wood is represented by Carlos/Ishikawa (London) and Michael Werner Gallery (New York, Berlin, London). Her exhibition, 'Study For No' at Lafayette Anticipations runs from October 18–January 7, 2024.

Director / DOP: Andrew Woffinden
Editor: Lauren McLaughlin
Assistant Camera: Daisy Allen
Sound: Artur Strakhov
Score: Yehezkel Raz

Art Basel 
Executive Editor: Coline Milliard 
Senior Editor: Alicia Reuter 
Video Commissioner: Jeanne-Salomé Rochat 
Creative Producer: Akiel Gallina