MY NANA - ORIGINAL PAINTING BY AVA REID - 81 x 102 CM
 
Part of the 'HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?' 2026 EXHIBITION; ARC Centre Gallery, Stockport
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MY NANA  is an original acrylic on canvas painting by Macclesfield artist Ava Reid and is one of her most tender paintings.
 
This painting is distinctly different from Ava's usual work in that the palette is softer, and more muted than almost anything she has painted. Where Ava typically reaches for hot pink, lime green and primary brights, here she has chosen lavender, dusty grey, pale gold, soft blue and blush, colours that feel hushed and gentle. Whether a conscious decision or an instinctive one, these colours simply follow the feeling of Ava's relationship with her beloved Nana.

Nana gazes out from the canvas with blue eyes and a wide, warm smile, rosy cheeks, silver-hair, and radiating contentment. Around her, the canvas erupts in Ava’s signature rings and circles in every soft tone imaginable. At the base of the canvas, a rich scatter of dots in every shade pulses with warmth and life.

Nana lives on the west coast of Wales, five hours from where Ava lives, but that distance and the joy of when they see one another makes the relationship even more special. 
 
Nana has been a constant throughout Ava’s life, caring for Ava when her parents are away, taking her on picnics from the back of a mini-camper van, cooking delicious meals, and offering love and understanding. Ava asks after her Nana almost every single day.

All of those feelings are contained in this painting. The abundance of mark-making, the softness and the warmth, this is what it looks like when someone paints a person they love without reservation. It is one of the most heartfelt, generous portraits you will ever see.
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About the Collection
 
How Do You Know My Name is a solo exhibition of original paintings by Ava Reid, showing at ARC Centre Gallery, Stockport throughout the summer of 2026.
 
The collection brings together Ava’s deeply personal portraits of people she loves, admires, and finds fascinating, and the places she relates to that both inspire her and make her feel safe.
 
The paintings display Ava's unmistakable style of bold mark-making, layered colour, and joyful, expressive energy.
 
Each painting is named for it's subject or place, making this a collection that is as intimate as it is captivating.
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About the Artist
 
Ava Reid is a Macclesfield based artist whose work is characterised by its confident colours, distinctive shapes, and joyful energy. As an artist with Down's syndrome and Autism Ava brings a perspective that is genuinely unique. Ava's work is never constrained by her own expectation of the finished product but are born of the purest creative instinct.
 
Ava's work has been celebrated for releasing genuine emotion amongst first time admirers as well as more seasoned fans. Her work is an outstanding example of art made by an artist with a learning disability that commands serious attention with it's vibrance and confidence.
 
Collecting an Ava Reid original means owning something that cannot be replicated, a piece of authentic art from one of Macclesfield's most exciting emerging talents.
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Original acrylic on canvas. 81 x 102cm. One of thirteen paintings in the 'HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?' 2026 exhibition shown at the ARC Centre in Stockport, 2026. Sold unframed. Certificate of authenticity included.