Tate’s monochromatic paintings dig down to the underlying unity at the root of all things with terracotta hues infusing her canvases, connecting ideas of dwelling at various scales. Iron oxide, linking the cosmos, the planet, and our own bodies, bridges the perceived gap between the internal and external, the personal and universal. Home emerges as the nucleus of our consciousness and the universe simultaneously—a shared space, for better or worse.

The warmth of these earthy tones balances the potential coldness of the empty spaces in Tate’s work, creating a tension between comfort and discomfort. Drawing inspiration from earth architecture—mud-brick, adobe, and other raw earth buildings—the artworks exude qualities of softness, naturalness, and ancient minimalism. Rounded forms evoke a sense of comfort and handcrafted intimacy, inviting quiet contemplation and reflection. Absence pervades Tate’s compositions, devoid of human presence, fostering a meditative atmosphere and providing ample room for thought. Light and dark play across the canvases, symbolising comfort and fear, hope, and the manipulation of shadows. Quiet contemplation and reduction to the bare essentials define the artworks, offering space for meditation and deep reflection.

For this body of work, Tate has meticulously crafted her own paint using linseed oil and natural earth pigments, imbuing the materials with simplicity and natural authenticity. Rounded edges in both subject matter and painting panel dissolve sharp boundaries, fostering a sense of unity and softness. 

 

Biography

Jill Tate CV

 

Seventeen Exhibitions

Ground Truthing

 

Press

Review by Lottie Hughes for Fetch 
von Goetz

 

Jill Tate, Little Knowledge, 2025
Oil and wax on board, 80 x 100 cm

Jill Tate, Trickle Down, 2025
Oil on board, 100 x 125 cm

 

Installation view: Jill Tate, Self-Fulfilment, Seventeen, 2025

 

 

Jill Tate, Self similar, 2026
Oil and wax on board
64 x 80 cm

Jill Tate, Floored, 2024
Oil on wood, 50 x 40 cm

Jill Tate, On the Edge, 2024
Oil on wood, 150 x 120 cm

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Installation view: Jill Tate, Ground Truthing, Seventeen, 2024

Jill Tate, Whole Parts, 2024
Oil on wood, 100 x 80 cm

Jill Tate, Thin Skin, 2024
Oil on wood, 40 x 50 cm

Installation view: Jill Tate, Ground Truthing, Seventeen, 2024

Installation view: Jill Tate, Ground Truthing, Seventeen, 2024

Jill Tate, Out of Touch, 2024
Oil on wood, 40 x 50 cm

Installation view: Jill Tate, Ground Truthing, Seventeen, 2024

Jill Tate, From the Top, 2024
Oil on wood, 150 x 120 cm

Jill Tate, Place Holder 2, 2023
Handmade plant-based acrylic on wood, 40 x 30 cm

Jill Tate, Place Holder 1, 2023
Oil on wood, 40 x 30 cm

Jill Tate, Self Supporting, 2023
Oil on wood, 50 x 60 cm

Side view: Jill Tate, Self Supporting, 2023
Oil on wood, 50 x 60 cm

Jill Tate, Show Up, 2022
Oil on wood, 30 x 40 cm

Jill Tate, Lost Property, 2022
Oil on wood, 60 x 80 cm

Jill Tate, Withhold, 2022
Oil on wood, 30 x 30 cm

Jill Tate, Spare Change, 2023
Oil on wood, each 20 x 20 cm (diptych)

Jill Tate, Something and Nothing, 2023
Oil on wood, 60 x 80 cm

Installation view: Jill Tate & Matt Denham, Degrees of Freedom, The NewBridge Project: Project Space, 2022

Installation view: Jill Tate, Reframing, Oil on wood, dimensions variable
Jill Tate & Matt Denham, Degrees of Freedom, The NewBridge Project: Project Space, 2022 

Installation view: Jill Tate & Matt Denham, Degrees of Freedom, The NewBridge Project: Project Space, 2022 

Installation view: Jill Tate & Matt Denham, Degrees of Freedom, The NewBridge Project: Project Space, 2022

Installation view: Jill Tate, See Through, 2023
Oil on wood, 120 x 90 cm

Installation view: Jill Tate, Not So Much In The Room, Gallery North, 2023

Installation view: Jill Tate, Domestic Silence, The Auxiliary, 2021

Installation view: A New Sensation, Galerie Marguo 2023

Installation view: Jill Tate, Peripheral Visions, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, 2023