Afonso Rocha
Afonso Rocha is a London-based painter whose work explores the emotional undercurrents of human presence and absence. Working primarily in figurative and landscape painting, his practice sits in a space of deliberate ambiguity, scenes feel familiar yet unsettled, inviting the viewer to pause, question, and linger.
Rocha’s paintings often resemble fragments of a larger, unfinished narrative. Figures appear absorbed in their own inner worlds, suspended in moments of quiet tension. Rather than offering resolution, his work creates space for interpretation, allowing each viewer to bring their own experiences and emotions into the frame. This openness is central to his approach, painting, for Rocha, is less about explanation and more about suggestion.
Deeply informed by art history and lived experience, his practice has evolved toward greater restraint and clarity in recent years. Subtle shifts in composition, tone, and atmosphere have become increasingly important, reflecting a growing confidence in allowing silence and space to carry meaning.
Afonso’s inclusion in The Collectors Atelier Artist Spotlight series speaks to the type of artist we are committed to supporting, one whose work rewards time, attention, and emotional engagement, and whose practice continues to unfold with intention and depth.
Afonso Rocha is a London-based painter whose work explores the emotional undercurrents of human presence and absence. Working primarily in figurative and landscape painting, his practice sits in a space of deliberate ambiguity, scenes feel familiar yet unsettled, inviting the viewer to pause, question, and linger.
Rocha’s paintings often resemble fragments of a larger, unfinished narrative. Figures appear absorbed in their own inner worlds, suspended in moments of quiet tension. Rather than offering resolution, his work creates space for interpretation, allowing each viewer to bring their own experiences and emotions into the frame. This openness is central to his approach, painting, for Rocha, is less about explanation and more about suggestion.
Deeply informed by art history and lived experience, his practice has evolved toward greater restraint and clarity in recent years. Subtle shifts in composition, tone, and atmosphere have become increasingly important, reflecting a growing confidence in allowing silence and space to carry meaning.
Afonso’s inclusion in The Collector’s Atelier Artist Spotlight series speaks to the type of artist we are committed to supporting, one whose work rewards time, attention, and emotional engagement, and whose practice continues to unfold with intention and depth.
Kit Lintin
It all begins with an idea.
Kit Lintin is a London-based painter whose quietly surreal worlds sit between memory, observation, and imagination. Working primarily in oil, her practice transforms everyday objects and domestic scenes into something tender, uncanny, and psychologically charged. Kit’s work invites the viewer into a space that feels both familiar and slightly out of reach, a place where stillness carries emotional weight and the ordinary becomes extraordinary.
Her paintings often begin with fragments: the curve of a ceramic vessel, a sliver of light, the posture of a figure mid-thought. These details evolve into scenes that hold narrative without overstating it, allowing the viewer to project their own experiences, anxieties, and inner worlds onto the work.
As part of The Collector’s Atelier Residency, Kit represents the kind of emerging voice we champion, an artist whose work is grounded in intention, emotional intelligence, and a distinct visual language. Her paintings stay with you, long after you step away.
Makiko Harris
It all begins with an idea.
Makiko Harris is a multimedia artist whose work spans painting, sculpture, installation, film, and sound, a practice rooted in deep inquiry into identity, memory, and cultural inheritance. Her layered practice blends biography and concept: drawing on her multicultural upbringing and academic background in philosophy and contemporary art, Makiko transforms everyday objects and personal histories into powerful, poetic visual language that challenges assumptions about gender, heritage, and the body.
Through material experimentation, often with textiles, domestic tools, or relics of tradition, her work translates personal narratives into sculptural forms and immersive environments that provoke reflection. Makiko’s installations and films evoke memory, presence, and the unspoken stories carried through generations, blurring the boundary between object and experience.
At The Collector’s Atelier, we are proud to spotlight Makiko as part of our Residency series. She represents the type of artist we believe in: one whose vision combines emotional depth, conceptual seriousness, and a commitment to shaping contemporary art’s future. Her practice offers a rare invitation: to see art not just as decoration or status, but as lived, breathing testimony to history, identity, and transformation.