Some ideas stay with an artist. 'Marmite' brings Louise Dear back to a spontaneous moment in her Devon studio years earlier, transforming one of Britain's most instantly recognisable objects into a one-of-a-kind mixed-media original on aluminium filled with colour, flowers and personal history.

Vibrant, playful and wonderfully nostalgic, 'Marmite' turns the familiar little jar into something unexpectedly beautiful. Surrounded by an exuberant arrangement of hot pink and orange flowers, its unmistakable graphic label sits boldly against layers of turquoise, blue and green. Expressive marks, splashes of pigment and sparkling details animate the surface, creating the joyful collision of glamour and irreverence that characterises Dear's work.

The story began during Louise's years in Totnes, Devon. Returning from a sunrise stroll with a handful of wildflowers, she spontaneously placed them into a discarded Marmite pot in her studio. The resulting paintings were quickly collected and went on to inspire her first commissioned works for London's Daisy Green restaurants and cocktail bars.

Years later, now living in Peyriac-de-Mer in southern France, Dear found herself surrounded by a growing collection of nostalgic British memorabilia. When she finally succeeded in growing daffodils on her Mediterranean terrace, memories of that original arrangement resurfaced, and the inspiration for 'Marmite' flared anew.

Perhaps that is what makes this work so evocative; Marmite is more than packaging. For generations it has occupied breakfast tables and kitchen cupboards, becoming one of those wonderfully ordinary objects capable of recalling a particular home, person or moment in an instant. Dear takes that shared visual memory and makes it intensely personal again.

'Marmite' is an entirely new composition, individually conceived and developed as an original artwork. Created on aluminium using gloss paint, glitter and sparkling crystals, the 50 × 50cm work combines saturated colour, expressive drawing and jewel-like embellishment in a richly layered surface that responds beautifully to changing light.

For collectors with their own memories of this unmistakable British icon, 'Marmite' offers something particularly special; a piece born from Louise Dear's personal nostalgia, with the irresistible ability to awaken our own.

Specifications

• Medium: Original mixed-media work on a slim-profile aluminium panel. Materials include gloss paint, glitter and sparkling crystals.
• Image Size: 50 x 50 x 2cm / 19.68" x 19.68" x 0.78" 

Designed to be displayed unframed, the artwork is created on an aluminium panel with a beautifully slim profile, allowing its contemporary edges to remain exposed as part of the finished presentation. Bespoke framing is also available at an additional charge; we recommend securing the original first, then speaking with our gallery team after purchase to explore framing options tailored to the artwork and your interior if required.