Papineau’s practice encompasses drawing, painting and printmaking. Colour is an essential vehicle through which she conveys emotion and atmosphere, working instinctively in thin layers of paint and pigment. These layers combine to result in a subtle complexity of colour, pattern and texture. Papineau’s process involves a wealth of references. Initially guided by a loosely defined area of interest, she begins a body of work by collecting scraps from everyday life, film, literature, folklore and art history. These varied visual inputs combine to form ambiguous narrative paintings that make up Papineau’s distinctive visual universe.

Since graduating she has participated in artist residencies in France and Italy, and has taken part in group shows at Blue Shop Gallery, Christie’s London, Frestonian Gallery, and Compton Verney. She presented her debut solo exhibition at Blue Shop Gallery in July 2023. Papineau is part of the faculty at the Royal Drawing School, where her teaching focuses on symbolism, memory and imagination.