SOLO EXHIBITION

‘‘My work often centres on subjects that evoke a sense of life, such as flowers and fruits. Through careful observation and realist painting, I seek to translate these forms onto the pictorial surface. For me, this process is both an expression of reverence for life and a quiet celebration of its presence. Alongside contemporary materials such as watercolour and oil pastel, I am also drawn to historical techniques like fresco and tempera. Through this dialogue between traditional methods and modern materials, I continue to explore a personal approach to realist expression.’’

Makoto Oji, 2026

MODERN PORTRAITS

Russell Herron is an artist who makes really cool pictures of faces. First, he cuts and tears pieces of old cardboard — like the boxes your Amazon orders come in — and makes them look like a face. Then he draws that face super carefully with a pencil on paper, making it look really real!

Curated by Venetia Higgins

This October, Folklore, Myths & Legends brings together 36 contemporary artists and over 175 artworks inspired by the stories, symbols and traditions that have shaped our imaginations for centuries.

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME

The exhibition There’s No Place Like Home brings together recent paintings that reflect on these ideas. The works suggest moments, objects, and spaces that evoke belonging, asking how colour, memory, and familiarity shape our sense of home .

A RANDOM WALK

Following a career in finance I began painting in 2019 and it has become an increasing focus in my life. A self-taught studio painter of mostly, but not exclusively, landscapes I nevertheless paint primarily from pencil and watercolour sketches “en plein air”. But I also supplement these with photographs. Before the increasing demands of career and family  made a very time consuming pastime more difficult I did a lot of landscape photography – much carries over, light and shade, tone, form and composition. The camera also helps train the eye to find an “image” within the wider context. But even the best camera will compromise on light and colour. So the period of intense observation and often annotation, even if sometimes only fairly brief, is for me a vital part of the final painting. The memory of “being there”, perhaps the way the wind is moving the clouds or light plays on foliage, is as much a part of the final result as trying to capture it on paper and film. If a viewer can sense some of that I have succeeded. If not, I have failed. This exhibition is the result of some three years of work – some planned, such as trips to Iona and Greece and some more accidental. Hence the title “ A Random Walk”. Now the paintings are on the wall – and the jury is out….”

David Stogdale, 2026

A ROOM OF THEIR OWN: Spaces and Objects of 20th Century Creatives

The idea for the exhibition began with Ayles’ visit to Salvador Dalí’s home, Castell de Púbol in Spain. Though Dalí is celebrated for his theatrical interiors, it was his pristine 60’s kitchen that struck Ayles and she immediately wanted to paint it. The work was later exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in 2024. It became the starting point for a wider artistic journey into the interior lives of famous Creatives.