June Collier studied at the Slade School of Fine Art ( 1961-1964 ) and was awarded a French Government Scholarship in painting and the Derwent Art Prize in 2018. She has taught at Liverpool College of Art and then Camberwell School of Art. She has exhibited widely, including the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, the Boundary Gallery, London, the Thumb Gallery and Camden Art Centre and Art Space Gallery, London.


"It was never my conscious intention but I see now that in its’ own way my work shows the story of my life as it emerged from deep inside me. I try to get the charcoal or paint to become the thing it is describing so that whatever I am speaking about feels real and very present and summons you to be present too. I usually paint in series which take maybe two or three years to complete. Most of my works consist of many layers and it’s a long time before I know how to resolve them. They are alive, exciting moments that get hidden forever by the work on top. I often take photos of these and document the working process. At some point each working day I have to be able to step aside and let the paintings come through me, trust that they will paint themselves if I give them the chance, that part of me knows exactly how to do it if only I can give it the freedom to speak.
The rest of the time doing the work is extraordinarily difficult."