'YumYum' is an original mixed-media portrait by British contemporary artist Louise Dear, created as part of her Compact Classics collection; a series that revisits some of the artist's most recognisable and collected imagery through a deliberately pared-back approach.

Bold, seductive and impossible to overlook, 'YumYum' captures the unapologetic femininity and intoxicating colour that have become signatures of Louise Dear's work. A female figure fills the composition, eyes closed and lips parted, emerging through sweeping black lines and flashes of electric pink, molten gold and vivid orange. Against the lustrous metallic ground, delicate outlined flowers collide with gestural marks and fractured passages of colour, giving the work an irresistible sense of movement and attitude.

There is glamour here, but also confidence. By stripping away some of the embellishment of her more complex compositions, Dear gives her line room to command the surface. The result feels spontaneous and immediate: an image with all the energy of a fleeting gesture, yet unmistakably Louise Dear.

This simplicity is intentional. Having refined her distinctive mixed-media practice over many years, Dear created the Compact Classics as an exploration of what happens when familiar imagery is reduced to its essential marks. As the artist explains, simplifying her practice allowed her to reconsider those marks as independent decorative forms in their own right.

Created on aluminium using mixed media including gloss paint, gold leaf, diamond dust and glitter, 'YumYum' comes alive through texture and reflected light. Its metallic surface shifts as it is viewed from different angles, while saturated colour and expressive line give the portrait a striking physical presence that is difficult to capture fully on screen.

At 70 × 50cm, 'YumYum' offers a rare proposition; an opportunity to acquire an original Louise Dear at an exceptional entry point within the artist's original portfolio. Conceived specifically to open original ownership to a wider circle of collectors, the Compact Classics bring some of Dear's most recognisable imagery into a focused series of one-off works.

For those discovering Louise Dear, this is a compelling place to begin. For existing collectors, it is a chance to encounter an established Dear icon anew; distilled, spontaneous and confidently stripped back to the marks that made it memorable.

Specifications

• Medium: Original work on aluminium: mixed media including gloss paint, gold leaf, diamond dust and glitter.
• Image Size: 70 x 50 cm / 27.55" x 19.68"  
• Frame Size: 75 x 55 cm / 29.52" x 21.65"
• Frame: Slim White Matte Tray Frame.

Designed to be enjoyed unframed, the artwork is supplied ready to hang with fixings that leave its beautifully finished aluminium edges exposed for a clean, contemporary presentation. Alternatively, a slim white matte tray frame is available at an additional charge, creating an elegant framed finish while retaining the artwork’s modern aesthetic.