On ‘Wavism’ and the making of an artist

Katie McGowan, Founder of Wavism, as featured in Vogue

Katie McGowan hadn’t always planned on becoming an artist. She was working in data analytics, far removed from the creative world, but something felt missing. One year, she made a simple resolution to make more time for creative pursuits. She signed up for a short course in Islington, spending Sundays in a cold, damp church, slowly reconnecting with a creative side she had been meaning to explore.

It was during this time that something clicked. "I set a New Year’s resolution: I really want to get back into painting and drawing," Katie recalls. What started as a small personal commitment soon turned into something bigger, pulling her into a creative journey that would ultimately shape the foundation of Wavism.

A chance encounter with Wavism

Katie’s artistic breakthrough happened unexpectedly. During a life drawing session, she found that traditional charcoal wasn’t working the way she had hoped. "I found that it didn’t give me energy to draw in that way."

Then, an unexpected mistake pushed her to experiment with a new approach. "I think the moment for me, that it kind of changed is that I messed up one of these drawings." Instead of discarding it, she leaned into the mistake, filling in sections and allowing the form to take shape in a new way.

That moment became a turning point. As she continued working over the piece, her strokes became more expressive, flowing freely across the page—her first glimpse of Wavism. 

Painting women as they want to be seen

Katie’s work is shaped by fluidity and movement, a style that feels both instinctive and intentional. "I feel like my style naturally, because the soft curves and the shape of it, really lends itself to the feminine form."

Her paintings strike a deeply personal chord with many women, evoking a sense of empowerment. Some collectors have shared how her work resonates with their own identities, with one telling her, "It made me feel like that’s what I want my most empowered self to be."

This connection is what sets Wavism apart from traditional portrayals of women in art. "In the past, women have been painted a lot in portraits or nudes, but it’s not necessarily coming from the perspective of how women want to be seen." That perspective—centring the way women see themselves rather than how they have historically been depicted—became central to her artistic practice.

Azure, oil on canvas (June 2021)

Curating her first solo exhibition

Katie’s upcoming solo exhibition is a reflection of her artistic evolution. Initially, she had hoped to create an entirely new collection but soon realized that rushing the process would not allow her to produce work she truly loved. Instead, she turned to pieces that had shaped her journey, selecting those that marked significant turning points in her career.

"These are pieces I personally love—ones that marked pivotal moments in my journey where everything just clicked," Katie remarks. A particularly meaningful addition to the show is a painting she borrowed back from a collector, a piece that holds a personal significance.

The exhibition itself is structured as a visual timeline, guiding visitors through the evolution of Wavism—from early sketches to her transition into oil painting, culminating in her recent explorations of movement and water.

Wavism’s next chapter

Katie envisions Wavism evolving in ways that go beyond her own practice, opening the door for other artists to interpret and expand upon the movement.

For her, Wavism is not just a style but a movement that could inspire other artists to reinterpret it in their own ways."Someone could do Wavism, but do it with textiles or something else." In the same way Impressionism was interpreted by different artists, she sees room for Wavism to evolve, extending beyond the canvas and into other artistic forms.

Katie’s next big goal is an immersive art residency in Europe, where she hopes to further explore her artistic voice and continue evolving Wavism. "I have no plans on how to finance this, but the idea of spending half my summer in the south of France is amazing."

With her work continuing to gain recognition and Wavism expanding in new directions, Katie is embracing whatever comes next with the same curiosity and openness that led her to this point.