The Art of Rediscovery with Vered Brett

This month, we’re excited to introduce Vered Brett, an artist whose journey and philosophy deeply resonate with me. She, like many creators and builders, took a leap of faith: stepping away from a path that no longer felt right to pursue something she was truly passionate about. Her story is a reminder that sometimes, we have to get lost before we find where we’re meant to be.

Vered is based in Cascais, Portugal. After becoming a mother in 2018, Vered knew she had to start thinking of her next chapter and remembered her first love: painting. She moved to the coast from London and immediately felt at ease being near the water. 

Vered reached out to us after finding soal through another artist friend, and from the start, I was drawn to her work. Her abstract paintings are striking, and full of movement, depth, and emotion. They don’t just invite you to look, they call you in. She shares so much of her creative process, from the textures she builds to the unconventional tools she collects with her son, and anyone who follows her always gets a behind-the-scenes glimpse into how each piece comes to life.

Her work is interesting because it reflects self-discovery, layered with the textures of her past and present. After moving to Portugal, she began painting with acrylics, often incorporating sand and ocean water into the materials—allowing nature itself to shape her art.  For her, sand usually represents the passing of time, “it is delicate, slipping through our fingers when we try to hold it. Yet despite its fragility, sand is an element that goes through tremendous journeys and endures any external changes that come its way.”

On my own, 2024

The above painting called On my own is from Vered's 2024 collection 'Moments We Remember.' In this body of work, she explores her childhood memories. And many of her memories are from being at the beach with her family, or on her own. She says that with these paintings she further explores those memories and the reasons for the lack of many others. The process helped her better understand how the memories we carry with us through life are made, and how they shape us, and form our identity in adulthood.

When I first looked at this painting, I wondered what the two entities were. Like viewing islands in the ocean from up above, these distinct masses are separated by vastness. The richness of the sand layer on top pulls your attention to the middle of the canvas.

After reading Vered’s intention behind this collection, you can see how the more formed shapes and layers, interspersed with less formed and then blank space, might be the memories she speaks of.

See through me, 2024

This painting entitled See through me and while it has a different texture to it, it still has a lot of depth. Vered will be showing more from her latest collection (including On my own from above) in London for the Other Art Fair next week. She says, “I hope that when you look at my paintings, they will awaken something inside you.”

I would say that she achieved her goal.

What would you like people to know when they first come across your artworks? 

The main thing I’d love people to know is that they don’t need any knowledge or education when it comes to art. I would like them to know that they are looking at a reflection of themselves. My work is not just about what I feel  when I create - it’s about what they feel when they experience it. Every piece I create is a piece of my story, and also an invitation for others to connect to something within them - whether it’s nostalgia, longing, joy, or curiosity. Art is a mirror, and I hope that when people stand before my work, they see and feel a piece of their own story reflected back at them. 

Since my art began as a way of self-healing, and the urge to express what words fail to do, I want my art to create a deep dialogue, not just between the viewer and my work, but between their inner world and their external reality. If my pieces make someone pause, feel seen, inspired or even question something about themselves or the world around them, then I’ve accomplished what I set out to do. 

When thinking about where you are in your journey, are you most excited about and what keeps you inspired for the future?

Right now, I’m incredibly excited about being selected out of 700 artists to exhibit my art at The Other Art Fair in London on March 6-9, 2025. Being part of an international event that celebrates independent artists and connects art directly with people is something I deeply value. This type of validation reminds me why I started , why I push forward, create, and share my art with the world. There’s nothing quite like seeing people experience your art in real time, witnessing their reactions, listening to their questions, and feeling that unspoken dialogue between something that my hands and heart made, and another person.

When I look back at where I started, jumping into life as a full-time artist without knowing where it would lead, I feel a deep sense of pride. Four years ago, I took that leap without a roadmap, fueled only by an unshakable determination and a force within me that pushed me to follow my heart. Art has tested me, challenged me, and at times, completely unraveled me, but through it all, it has shown me who I truly am. Time and time again, it reveals my resilience, my passion, and my willingness to keep going even when the path isn’t clear. 

What keeps me inspired for the future is knowing that this journey is still unfolding. There are more stories to tell, more risks to take, more profound connections with people I don’t know yet, and more unexpected, beautiful moments waiting ahead. And as long as I continue to show up for my art and for myself, I know I’m on the right path. 

 If you could go to dinner with any artist, who would it be and why?

I have to share two names. Not many people know this about me, but the very first artist I ever encountered as a child and was inspired by his work was Salvador Dalí. I discovered him while flipping through an encyclopedia (yes, I was that child…). The other artist is my hero, Helen Frankenthaler. Two artists who, in completely different ways, shattered the boundaries of artistic expression.

With Dalí, I wouldn’t just want to talk about art. I’d want to step into his mind, even if just for an evening. His ability to blur the lines between dreams and reality, to turn the subconscious into something visually tangible, has always fascinated me. I’d ask him about the moments when his wildest ideas came to life: were they sudden flashes of inspiration or long, calculated visions? And of course, I imagine the dinner itself would be nothing short of surreal, possibly involving melting clocks as table décor or a conversation that feels like stepping into one of his paintings.

And then, there’s Helen Frankenthaler’s revolutionary approach to colour and abstraction that deeply inspires me. Her soak-stain technique changed the way artists think about paint and surface, and I’d love to talk to her about freedom and about breaking the rules. I find her approach to freedom in art, and allowing the medium to do what it wants, learning to let go, and defying rules, is something I deeply resonate with, in art and in life. 

What is the best piece of advice you've been given?

The best advice I’ve ever received wasn’t given to me in a single moment or by a single person - it was something life kept teaching me over and over until I had no choice but to listen: be true to yourself, unapologetically.

For so long, like so many people, I tried to fit into expectations - what I should be doing, how I should present myself, what success should look like. But the more I tried to mold myself into something that wasn’t entirely me, the more disconnected I felt. It wasn’t until I fully embraced my own voice, my own instincts - both in art and in life - that things started to align.

This theme of authenticity runs through everything I create in my studio. My art is about stripping away the noise, the expectations, the fear, the external pressures, and getting to the core of who we really are. The moment we stop caring about how we’re perceived and start living for ourselves is the moment we step into our true power. That’s the advice I live by every day.

What is one thing you wish you'd be asked in an interview? 

I wish I was asked: “What do you want your legacy as an artist to be?”

I think about this often. To me, art isn’t just about creating something beautiful or aesthetically pleasing, it’s about leaving behind a feeling, a shift, and a sense of connection that lingers long after the piece has been seen. I want my work to exist beyond me, to spark something in others even years from now.

If you read the testimonials that my beautiful collectors around the world wrote, you’ll notice a pattern. They all experienced an instant moment of profound connection, and in a way, finding something they were looking for or needed. I believe people see my art as something that is alive and it offers them different things at different times in their life. 

If someone stumbles upon my art in the future and feels something, whether it’s a deep emotion, an inspiration, or just a moment of introspection, then I will have done my job. Because art at its core is about connection. And if my work can continue to bridge that gap between people, time, and emotion, then that’s the legacy I want to leave behind.

Darkest Hour, 2024

How has your practice evolved over time?

My practice has evolved in so many ways – technically, mentally and emotionally. In the beginning of my journey, I was eager to learn all the practical things, whether it was painting skills, building a website, finding collectors, and stretching canvases. But pretty quickly, as abstract art was a new world to me, I realised that the best way to reach my goals as an artist was to look inwards and start learning about myself so that I could share it with the world.  

I started trusting my instincts more, allowing imperfections to be part of the process, embracing the process, and letting intuition guide my work. I’ve also become more experimental, pushing myself outside of my comfort zone with new mediums, textures, and themes. And really, allowing myself to be driven by my natural curiosity. 

Emotionally, my practice has become more introspective. My work has never been about what I see, but about what I feel and what I want others to feel when they experience it. I’ve learned that evolution as an artist isn’t about changing what you create, but deepening why you create it.

What music are you listening to these days?

Music is an integral part of my creative process -it shapes my mood, fuels my energy, and helps me tap into the emotions I want to express in my work. I move between classical, rock, and jazz depending on the day, using music as a way to both ground myself and lose myself in the moment.

Some musicians never leave my playlist: Florence & The Machine, Radiohead, Beck, and The War on Drugs. But when I’m in the studio, the music has to connect with the theme of my work; it becomes an invisible thread woven into each piece. Lately, while working on my new collection for my upcoming exhibition in London, I’ve been immersed in a lot of Radiohead. Their depth, their melancholic yet electrifying sound, and the way they balance chaos with beauty mirrors what I strive to capture in my art. And Florence…well, she always helps me to set the demons free.