Julie Balliu

BIO

Julie Gayle Balliu trained as a Graphic Designer in South London, UK, in the late 80s/early 90s, and followed a career as a freelance graphic artist in London before moving into marketing and advertising. After time in France, Cornwall (West, UK), and Albania, Julie moved to the South Coast (UK) in 2003, working in project coordination. Throughout her career, she has painted and exhibited her artwork.

Julie has recently decided to return to her love of drawing and printmaking whilst also studying for a Fine Art degree. She loves exploring urban areas and the countryside, recording memories of wandering through towns and villages, gazing at street life, and noting details in shop windows and often overlooked areas within the home. These activities provide a creative and critical dimension to her work using a range of media from painting, sketching, and printmaking.

Artist Statement

'The Potter's Studio'

This watercolour captures the quiet heart of a potter's studio - a place where hands shape not just clay, but hope, intention, and care. Shelves filled with lidded pots, pigments, and tools reflect both the hands-on craft and the artist's care in shaping, making and unveiling. Each lid draws a gentle line between what is kept safe inside and what is ready to be shared with the world.

'A Cupboard full of Memories'

Here, a nostalgic kitchen dresser brims with pots and bowls worn by time and memory, exploring the tangible and emotional layers of what we choose to keep. These lidded vessels are keepsakes of memory - they hold echoes of laughter, stories whispered across generations, and the tender weight of what we choose to cherish and protect. The lids are silent guardians, keeping close the past while opening space for reflection and connection.

Exhibitions