Art in the bar: Natalie Chapman – It’s a class act
My current work is an exploration of growing up in social housing and navigating a system that often feels like it’s designed to hold you back. This body of work reflects my own lived experience at the margins, where the struggle to survive and the fight to grow are inseparable. It is not about poverty porn or exploitation, but about resilience, identity, and giving a voice to subjects that are too often overlooked.
I hope to confront the silences that surround working-class lives and the systemic barriers that continue to shape the futures of young people from similar backgrounds. The work challenges the idea that the art world is reserved for a select few, highlighting the urgent need for inclusivity in a space that too often alienates those from marginalized communities.
As public funding for arts education is slashed, the divide grows starker making it harder for working-class artists to find a place, or even believe they deserve one. This work exists to remind me of where I came from and to spark a conversation about class, opportunity and above all, a testament to the power of resilience, the importance of representation, and the necessity of art as a space for challenging, questioning, and dreaming beyond the structures that try to contain us.
Natalie Chapman graduated from University of Wales Trinity St Davids in 2017 and has exhibited widely across the UK including MOMA Wales, RBSA Birmingham, Liberty Gallery Brighton, Aberystwyth Art Centre and Beep Painting Biennial 2024.
www.nataliechapmanartist.co.uk