Natalie Hodder, born in 2000 in Botswana, is a contemporary acrylic painter based in the UK. Growing up between cultures and immersed in nature shaped her visual language from an early age. She has always been drawn to vibrant colours, organic textures and the subtle details that define everyday life. These elements continue to influence her work, which often reflects the landscapes, cultural contrasts and natural rhythms that have shaped her identity.
Music plays a central role in her creative process. Each painting evolves alongside its own playlist, allowing sound to guide the mood, tempo, and emotional direction of the piece. This connection between colour and rhythm enables her to work intuitively, creating compositions that feel both expressive and grounded in the environments that inspire them.
Creativity has been at the heart of Hodder’s life since childhood, when time spent outdoors, drawing and making things by hand sparked her early interest in art. Although she later pursued a BA in Fashion Marketing, graduating in 2024, painting remained her primary focus and passion. Today, her practice centres on translating memory, atmosphere, and the natural world into bold, emotive works that invite viewers to pause feel and connect.
'"I work exclusively in acrylic, using the medium to explore landscapes, cultural contrasts and the natural rhythms that have shaped my identity. Music is central to my process. Each painting develops alongside its own playlist, guiding the emotion and pace of the work. This connection between colour and sound allows me to work intuitively, creating pieces that feel expressive and grounded. I aim to make paintings that are personal but open, inviting viewers to connect with the work and find their own reflections. The playlists can also offer another way to engage with the paintings, providing insight into the feelings and choices that shaped each piece."