Lily Mixe is originally from Paris and has lived and worked in the UK for the past ten years. Her practice revolves around drawing and painting on a variety of surfaces including paper, canvas, found objects and walls. The focus of Mixe’s work is the natural world and in particular the ocean. Mixe presents subjects and specimens as otherworldly; aliens from our own planet and reminders of how beautiful and complex life on Earth can be.

Using chalk collected from the beaches in Margate, Mixe has chosen to paint a life-sized Minke whale, the most commonly seen whale around the UK coastline. Chalk is comprised from planktonic remains of micro-organisms: fossils believed to be 66 to 100 million years old. Using this material to draw such a giant creature is a way to show the connection between all living things.

Balaenoptera Acutorostrata is presented as part of Portfolio   X   RISE UP. CLEAN UP., an exhibition for young people living in Kent and Medway to get their art and ideas out in the world. This year we have collaborated with a local organisation RISE UP. CLEAN UP. to set the brief and select work to be shown as part of our summer exhibition.