About | Ella Bril

My name is Ella Bril, I am a dutch painter. I currently live in a Amsterdam. I make large-scale paintings which are often figurative and inspired by people who I encounter in my everyday life. I recreate them on canvas in their own realm, sometimes staring out at the viewer and other times gazing softly into an undefined space. The figures appear alone or in groups, and are surrounded by expansive planes of bright color, abstract imagery, and heavy gestural marks. Themes of nature, movement, and color also surface in my work.

In ways, these figures and their surroundings are rooted in both reality and imagination. The elements of my compositions merge together to form a space that resembles our world but remains slightly elusive. I often think about why we as humans navigate our lives the way we do—what makes us do something or not do something. Humans are fascinating, beautiful, wise, and frustrating; I explore this intrigue through my visual language. I channel both the positive and negative in my paintings; the atmosphere of the final works can be ambiguous, full of both recognizable yet distant imagery.

I bring these characters to life with bold colors and play with perspective. For example, decorative elements in the background are often pushed forward to a place of significance beside a figure, and the dramatic colors I use sometimes serve as subjects in and of themselves.

EXHIBITIONS

Upcoming:

Motherhood | Luminous Origins – solo, TM Gallery & MTart Agency, London (during Frieze Art Fair)
Homegrown private members club London - group exhibition curated by MTart Agency

Past (selection):

Etesian Gallery – Collaboration, Menorca
My True Nature – solo, Nationale8 Gallery, Brussels
Nock Nock Art Fair – group exhibition, Amsterdam
The Story of Us – virtual exhibition, Visionary Projects, New York
MAZA #3 – group auction, Madrid
Women’s Day – group exhibition, Fosbury & Sons, Amsterdam
Eve Presents Number Three – group exhibition, Eve Leibe Gallery, London
Opening Group Show – Mees van de Wiele Gallery, Ghent
Double Dutch – duo exhibition, Galerie Mees-Van De Wiele, Aalst
Plasticity – group exhibition, Galeria Azur, Madrid
Vision of Figure – group exhibition, Badr El Jundi Gallery
As in Façade – group exhibition, Janet Rady Fine Art, London
LEVENSLANG – group exhibition, Lokaal Lokaal, Amsterdam

Commissions

Large painting (6 meters) for restaurant Maxwell, Amsterdam
Commissioned self-portrait Motherhood for Marine Tanguy, CEO MTart Agency

Publications & Media

Planned October 16, 2025: Interview in Apollo Magazine during solo exhibition Motherhood | Luminous Origins
JAN Magazine, issue 10, 2025 – interview about artistic practice and themes
Quotenet, 2024 – article about use of color and work
Les Nouveaux Riches Magazine, 2022 – interview on artistic vision
MUNTHE Art Monday, 2022 – feature on work and inspiration
New and Abstract, 2022 – “Five Questions to Ella Bril” interview
Four Amsterdam, 2022 – blog on art and inspiration

Links

https://tmlighting.com/news/spotlight/artist-spotlight-ella-bril/

JAN Magazine, smaakmakers, editie 10 2025

https://www.quotenet.nl/lifestyle/kunst/a63952500/kunstenares-ella-bril-welkome-pleidooi-voor-kleur/

https://www.les-nouveaux-riches.com/interview-with-ella-bril/

https://www.en.munthe.com/blogs/munthe-art-monday/munthe-art-monday-ella-bril

https://www.fouramsterdam.com/blogs/four-the-future/ella-bril

https://www.newandabstract.com/blogs/news/five-questions-ella-bril

AGENT

MTart agency

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