Kathryn Armitage (b. 1994, North Yorkshire, UK) is a London-based figurative painter. She completed a BA in Painting at Camberwell College of Art in 2016 and an MA in Painting at the Royal College of Art in 2024.

Armitage’s work explores gender norms and power dynamics, challenging conventional representations of femininity.

Rooted in personal experience, her paintings critique the implicit codes dictating how women are expected to dress, behave, and occupy space. Compositionally referencing the Old Masters - particularly the civic guard banquet paintings of Dutch Golden Age painters - she abstracts, manipulates and takes control of the works. By inserting her own figure in place of powerful, domineering men, Armitage reframes these narratives through a feminist lens.

Although grounded in historical tradition, Armitage takes a playful approach to materiality, utilising a vivid palette & energetic mark-making. Layers of fluorescent spray paint, pigmented washes, and untouched canvas are built upon with gestural applications of paint, pastel, and oil stick— resulting in works that blur the boundaries between abstraction and realism.

For a full portfolio or available works list please contact: hello@ka-creative.co.uk