About

Lost Hemispheres 

 International contemporary artist Carla Raads creates from her studio in Northwest England, where her artistic vision bridges continents and captures nature's most powerful moments. 

Her formal training combines fine art foundation studies and photography, enriched by an apprenticeship under Philippe Aird of Hulme—a direct artistic lineage to the renowned L.S. Lowry.

 Born along the dramatic Eastern Cape coast of South Africa, Raads' work speaks profoundly of lost hemispheres and cultural landscapes that never truly leave us. Her bold, powerful seascapes transport viewers to another realm—offering an escape while simultaneously exploring how her familiar South African coastlines have adapted to her new English surroundings. These paintings serve as emotional dialogues between past and present landscapes, memory and experience. 

 Working exclusively in oil on canvas, Raads' distinctive artistic voice emerged when she began painting seascapes with her bare hands—a technique that would become her signature. This visceral approach, born from an intuitive need to transfer energy directly onto canvas, creates works of remarkable emotional intensity. Her sunset paintings, in particular, capture nature's most dramatic moments with extraordinary vividness, their bold colors and powerful compositions evoking feelings of both nostalgia and transcendence. 

 In 2023, Raads' artistic expression garnered recognition when she was named a "Driven by Dreams" ambassador by Porsche. Her work has been showcased in exhibitions across Europe, including a successful solo show at the Jumeirah Hotel in Sóller, Mallorca. These achievements reflect the growing appreciation for her ability to capture the dynamic interplay between human experience, cultural identity, and natural forces. 

 Whether exploring turbulent seas crashing against remembered shores or dramatic sunsets that blur the boundaries between hemispheres, Raads' paintings invite viewers into contemplative spaces where past and present, here and there, familiar and foreign all converge in emotional resonance.