INFO

Born London, United Kingdom
Lives and works Montreal, Quebec, Canada

Through a meticulous process, I employ oil paintings on aluminum panels to transcend conventional artistic boundaries.

Each composition is intricately layered, featuring meticulously painted backgrounds that are adorned with incised drawings crafted from bare aluminum. These drawings possess a unique reflective quality, granting them an ethereal shimmer when illuminated. This interplay between reflective elements and the observer's gaze fosters a space for contemplation, where the realms of art and science intertwine.

My artistic process delves into the realms of physics and the act of observation. Through swift and instinctive strokes, I create drawings that encapsulate the essence of the moment. This interplay between rapid execution and deliberate intent serves as a metaphor for my fascination with the act of looking and the profound insights it can yield. Each brushstroke encapsulates the harmonious collision of spontaneity and purpose, resulting in artworks that transcend the ordinary and provoke deeper contemplation.

Within my latest collection, you will encounter a series of doodle heads that pique curiosity. Accompanying each head is a central figure known as the "Submission Diver." This figure embodies the concept of gracefully yielding to the universe and embracing circumstances in a positive manner. Its presence within the composition transforms the larger head into a multifaceted entity — an introspective reflection, a deity-like archetype, an intriguing artefact, or a conduit to ancestral wisdom. This captivating interplay of elements captivates the imagination, prompting intellectual exploration and evoking emotional resonance.

CONTACT: vafrasims@gmail.com or DM on Insta

EDUCATION

2009 – 2011 MA Fine Art Painting (Distinction) - Royal College of Art, London, U.K.

2009  PgDip Byam Shaw - Central St Martins, London

Selected exhibitions





- as VAFRA SIMULATIONS

Selected exhibitions






- as Jonathan Joubert

2014

Man & Eve Projects #1: All Things New, Group Exhibition (Iain Andrews, Wieland Payer, Helen Barff, Alex Virji, James Brooks, Stephen Nelson, Yard sale Project, Jonathan Joubert, Melis van den Berg, Henrietta Simson, Alistair McClymont, Pippa Gatty, Fraser Sharp, Sophie Clements, Anna Sikorska, Anna Freeman Bentley) West Square, London

Painted Horizons, Group Exhibition (Michele Tocca, Jonathan Joubert, Matthew Musgrave,  Iwan Lewis, Wendy McLean, Freyja Wright, Emily Mould) The Old Stables, Maggs Bros. London

RCA Secret, Royal College of Art, Dyson Building, Battersea, London 2013 RCA Secret, Royal College of Art, Dyson Building, Battersea, London

2012

Part of a Collection: Outset / RCA Acquisitions 2009-11 Royal College of Art, Dyson Buildings, Hester Road, Battersea, London

Open Studios, ACAVA Studios, Battersea, London

2011

Open House, Group Open Studios (Actionspace, Ray Andrews, Salvatore Arancio, David J Batchelor, Emma Bennett, Susanne Bürner, Kaye Donachie, Joelle Ford, Jeremy Glogan, Dave Hanger, Sara Haq, Intoart, Jonathan Joubert, Sharon Leahy-Clark, Elisabeth Lecourt, Arthur Medvedev, Dawn Mellor, Andy Parker, Matthew Poland, Frances Richardson, Paul Eugune Riley, Susan Spencer, Amy Stephens, Avis Underwood, Markus Vater) Studio Voltaire, Clapham, London

Show RCA 2011, Sackler Building RCA Painting, London

2010

RCA Secret, Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London

Interim Show, RCA, Henry Moore Gallery, London

Sign of the Times, POST Gallery, London

Z-time, Group Exhibition (Jonathan Joubert, Wendy McLean, Aidan O'Sullivan, Nicholas Pankhurst, , Yelena Popova, Helen Pritchard, Joseph Schneider, Michele Tocca, Sarah Tynan, Nadia Visram) Blyth Gallery, Imperial College, London

Z-time, Group Exhibition (Jonathan Joubert, Wendy McLean, Aidan O'Sullivan, Nicholas Pankhurst, , Yelena Popova, Helen Pritchard, Joseph Schneider, Michele Tocca, Sarah Tynan, Nadia Visram) Era Foundation, Young Artists Biennale, Moscow, Russia

2009

RCA Secret, Royal College of Art, Kensington Gore, London

Graduation Show, Byam Shaw @ Central Saint Martins, London

Over Easy, Lauderdale House, London

2006

STARE, The Brick Lane Gallery, London

Group Exhibition (Jonathan Joubert, Nicholas Wrigglesworth, Andrea Schulewitz) - Zimmer Stewart Gallery, Arundel, West Sussex

2005

Off the Wall - Group Exhibition (Jonathan Joubert, Jo Lamb, Jonathan Wade, Eric Mellon, Kitty Shepherd, Maggie Tredwell, Lilia Unman-Clarke, Barbara MacFarlane, Peter Wills) - Zimmer Stewart Gallery, Arundel, West Sussex

2003

Open Studios, Wimbledon Art Studios, London

2002

TRIPTYCH, Group Exhibition - Gallery 47, Bloomsbury, London

AWARDS

ROYAL COLLEGE OF ART STUDIO AWARD - 2011

Since 2009 Outset has partnered with Studio Voltaire and Royal College of Art to award an RCA graduate in the department of painting a 12-month studio space at Studio Voltaire. Students are selected by a panel of Outset and RCA staff and a guest curator.