Clare Woods (b. 1972) is a British contemporary artist. Her paintings are essentially concerned with sculpting an image in paint, and expressing the strangeness of an object.

Woods’ choice of subject matter is primarily based on an intuitive response to found photographic source material, which in recent years has moved from a fascination with subconscious expressions of anxiety in the landscape to explorations of the figure and human head, often in a metamorphic state of psychological tension. Woods is concerned with the relevance of the art of the past to contemporary practice and significant references in her work have included Paul Nash, Jean Fautrier, Barbara Hepworth and Eduardo Paolozzi. Using oil on aluminium she manipulates qualities of flatness and three-dimensionality, twisting foreground and background to create nuanced and surreal imagery that connects the viewer to subconscious states of mind.

Clare Woods was commissioned by the Contemporary Art Society to create a permanent ceramic mural for the London 2012 Olympic Park, and in 2015 15 x 8 meter painting for Aarhus VIA University College, Denmark. Her recent solo exhibitions have included a touring solo exhibition from Oriel Davies (2014-2016), A Tree A Rock A Cloud, Martin Asbaek Gallery, Copenhagen, (2015), Rebecca Chami Gallery, Athens, André Buchmann Galerie, Berlin, (2014), The New Art Centre, Salisbury, Harewood House, Leeds (2013) Southampton City Art Gallery, (2012) The Hepworth Wakefield (2011). Her work is included in the collection of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, Arken Museum of Modern Art, Denmark, Arts Council Collection, London, British Council, CCA Andratx, Mallorca, Spain, Goverment Art Collection, The Nation Collection of Wales, Cardiff, Southampton City Art Gallery and Tullie House Gallery, Carlisle.