Katie McGowan: The Fluid Language of Wavism
For Katie McGowan (1994), painting exists somewhere between abstraction and form. Her works are immediately recognisable for their rich, tactile waves of oil, where layers of pigment build into surfaces that feel almost sculptural. Dreamlike yet materially grounded, her paintings transform the familiar language of paint into something fluid, immersive, and distinctly her own.
At the centre of McGowan’s practice is Wavism, the artistic genre she has developed through years of independent exploration. More than a stylistic signature, Wavism represents a visual language through which material, light, and emotion become inseparable. Her paintings are constructed through layered strata of oil, creating movement across the surface while allowing colour and light to continually shift within the work.
McGowan’s approach draws from two very different but historically significant traditions: Impressionism and Renaissance painting. From Impressionism comes an interest in light, atmosphere, and the fleeting qualities of perception; from Renaissance painting, a fascination with structure, composition, and the considered construction of form. Rather than reproducing either tradition, McGowan absorbs these principles into an intuitive contemporary practice.
That relationship between instinct and intention became particularly significant in 2025, when McGowan travelled to Florence to study classical Renaissance techniques. Immersing herself in the methods of Renaissance painting gave her a deeper understanding of colour, light, and composition, adding greater intentionality to her process without disrupting the instinctive foundation on which Wavism was built.
Water is another constant within McGowan’s visual vocabulary. Appearing as both subject and metaphor, it reflects the cyclical and fluid qualities of the feminine. Its movement provides a natural counterpart to the waves of oil that define her surfaces, creating paintings that suggest continual transformation rather than fixed states.
This sense of movement is central to the experience of McGowan’s work. Her paintings do not simply depict form; they give form to sensation. The physical accumulation of paint creates depth and texture, while the movement within each composition invites the viewer into a more atmospheric, almost dreamlike space.
McGowan has exhibited across major international art hubs including London, Los Angeles, and New York, bringing Wavism into increasingly prominent contemporary art contexts. At a relatively early stage in her career, she has already established a technique that is immediately identifiable while continuing to evolve through study, experimentation, and independent exploration.
What distinguishes McGowan’s practice is ultimately the balance she maintains between control and surrender. Her paintings are carefully built, yet they retain the feeling of something in motion—something that cannot be completely contained. Through Wavism, she has developed a language where paint behaves less like a surface and more like a living material, carrying light, emotion, and form within its waves.
