“Before I could write, I drew patterns,” says Andrea Tierney.

Drawing patterns is clearly something that has never left the inspiration of the Austrian-born artist who now calls London home. She is bringing her works to Willesden from this week where she is exhibiting a life’s passion.

“Years later, as my practice as an artist developed,” she says, “I noticed that the sense to create patterns was everywhere in my work. The human figure, which I had studied for many years, became part of a pattern in diverse configurations.

“The pattern of flowing water, of leaves on the ground, of road signage, of graffiti on walls became the subject matter for my art. Discovering the intrinsic order of things and between things set me on a journey of discovery, which I am documenting in this exhibition.”

The exhibition at Willesden Gallery is the culmination of a lifetime of artistic production with Andrea having studied fine art in Vienna, textile print at Central St Martin’s in London and computer design with animation at Westminster.

This experience has been complimented by art residencies in Europe as well as her travel to the US and Canada as well as Sarajevo, Cairo and Damascus. But Austria and London have kept drawing her back - as has her lifelong interest in patterns.

"Patterns can be seen as a universal language. Every day many things attract our attention.

"My sense of curiosity draws me to a particular aspect, which then becomes the object of investigation through the artistic process.

"My patterns may represent an object as it appears in nature, but they are also a crystallization of the essence of an object.

"Symmetry is one of the ordering functions of a pattern, which develops and grows according to the symmetry it follows.

"Symmetries can be seen as numerical arrangements like mathematical codes."

Pattern: An exhibition of paintings, prints and spatial objects by Andrea Tierney will be on show in Willesden Gallery from April 7-23. The exhibition opens 9am-8pm Monday-Friday and 12-5pm on weekends.