Lisa Brice at Tate Britain explores the art-historical tradition of the female nude

On show at Tate for the first time, Brice's work includes large-scale new and recent paintings which address the longstanding art-historical tradition of the female nude.

Shown alongside sketches, drawings and studies, her paintings recast female subjects from art historical paintings, photographs and the media into new environments, imbuing them with a newfound sense of self-possession. It's the latest in Tate Britain's ongoing Art Now series of free exhibitions showcasing emerging talent and highlighting the latest developments in British art.

Brice's work depicts women, either alone or in groups, chatting, making themselves up, getting dressed, undressing or escaping the heat of the sun for a beer or a cigarette. She captures these women in moments of downtime, engaged in a private world, performing everyday rituals. In so doing, Brice reverses the traditional portrayal of passive female figures by male artists for male viewers and returns power to the women involved.

Brice's heroines are sometimes introspective, yet are never passive. They appear to display themselves on their own terms and for their own pleasure, forcing the viewer to confront their status as an intruder rather than a benign voyeur. Formal devices such as mirrors and windows contribute to the compelling sense of depth and space. The women's poses often nod to art historical sources, as the work of Degas, Manet, Picasso and Vallotton.

Within her substantial body of work, Brice often makes use of a distinctive blue colour palette. This colour creates a sense of distance from the intimacy of the scenes, as well as interrupting any obvious readings of the subject's ethnicity. For Brice, the blue also evokes to the formidable "Blue Devil" Trinidadian carnival character. These masqueraders are emboldened by a coat of cobalt blue paint, masking their identities. Brice has spent extended periods of time living and working in Trinidad, following a workshop there in 1999 and a residency in 2000, and this ongoing relationship is frequently evident in her paintings.

Art Now: Lisa Brice runs from today until 27 August 2018 at Tate Britain. Admission is free. To find out more, visit tate.org.uk.