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InspirationIllustration

Amy Sutton's work is informed by 1970s album sleeves, '90s cartoons and impending motherhood

It’s easy to see the influence of 1970s design legends Hipgnosis on Amy Sutton’s work: the studio’s strange, space-age vibe imbues her subtle gradients and the surrealist shapes that populate her portfolio.

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Colourful abstract illustration featuring intertwining blue and purple shapes with a small yellow character and green balloon against a gradient sunset sky with clouds

Based in South London, Sutton is an artist and motion graphic designer working mainly in acrylic and airbrush, and occasionally in oil paint and Indian ink. Her work merges elements of abstraction and portraiture to create beguiling scenes that feel contemporary while also bearing distinct nods to her retro heroes both in the graphic design world and in surrealist films.

"I love experimenting with different physical approaches because for my day job I only work digitally and I enjoy taking a break from that,” she says. “I've spent the past seven years working as a motion graphic designer, mainly for Nickelodeon and Disney, and I think that may be because I still love cartoons and because influences from my childhood are still in my subconscious. My work features the vibrant colours of 90s cartoons and characters that are based on toys I used to have as a child."

Sutton is about to put on her debut exhibition at Descart.es gallery in Croydon, Surrey, called Fabulist, which runs from 1 July until 26 August. "I’m currently expecting my first child and much of the work examines themes of family and birth," she says. "I try to portray relationships between people or intangible feelings by simplifying them into abstract shapes, and forms overlap and intersect to create new entities and satellites. It's also encouraging me to think a lot about childhood and how its influences form our adulthood, and my work has become quite nostalgic because of that."

Surreal illustration of a cracked grey sphere containing colourful abstract shapes in green, purple and blue, with floating spheres in orange, red and yellow against a gradient yellow and orange background with green ground
A pink spiral shape floats against a blue night sky, with a unicorn hanging from its centre, teddy bears on top, and a rainbow streaming from stacked coloured blocks, alongside a red egg on green ground
Woman with purple wavy hair in profile gazes down at a suspended mobile of colourful objects including a rainbow, crescent moon and abstract shapes against a blue sky and purple mountains
Abstract illustration of a cracked grey sphere containing colourful shapes, floating spheres and geometric forms against a yellow and green gradient background
A cracked grey egg against a gradient orange and yellow sky reveals vibrant magenta and blue abstract shapes inside, sitting on a lime green ground
Abstract illustration of a white egg with a blue handle and red ring, containing geometric shapes in yellow and green, set against a light blue background
Abstract sculptural form in shades of green and gold with a curved protrusion and small sphere, set against a bright pink background
Stylised green abstract form with cutout shapes pierced by a purple brushstroke, alongside a smaller green oval, against a speckled yellow and orange gradient background
Abstract organic form in red, orange and yellow gradient with surrealist shapes against a soft pink and yellow background, by Amy Sutton
Intertwining green and red abstract forms against a blue to yellow gradient background, with a small red shape floating to the right
Interlocking abstract shapes in blue and pink gradients with textured surfaces against a yellow background
Stacked abstract shapes in orange and yellow tones forming a figure-like composition against a light blue background, reminiscent of 1970s design aesthetics
Smooth curved shapes in bright lime green, magenta and yellow overlap and flow across a vibrant gradient background in Amy Sutton's abstract artwork
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