We have handpicked five young innovative artists to be placed in our summer exhibition this year which shows their work during their time of study and pieces from some of their final projects. These artists showcase a range of exciting new themes and mediums, from photography, acrylic, oil, to linocut printing, graphic design with mixed media techniques.

Sam Rowley is our photographer of the show; his work showcases a collection over the last six years from his ‘Deer Dairies’ captured at Dawn at our local Royal Park in Richmond. Sam has many breath taking shots and views of the Deer within their natural settings. Taken throughout the year Sam demonstrates the dapple summer light through the trees or the cold misty smog that rolls over the hills in winter.

Courtney Heather works in acrylic capturing a crowd concentrated on an event that is taking place. We take a voyeuristic approach as we view the subject matter and diffuse the scene. Courtney creates work inspired by the ideas that provoke such pleasures in being seduced by the familiar and the unknown. Similar to the effect music, novels, and cinema have, she is interested in this submission that causes a distraction from the mundane world and how it persuades us to replay them infinitely.

Florence Mytum’s work is inspired from her final project using polythene sheeting with painted pigment that has been manipulated into twisted sculptural forms as an installation. Florence’s work is inspired from aspects or parts of these worked objects. She paints meticulously and her craft is concentrated on the finer details. The full collection of all these oil pieces as an installation is titled ‘The Wrinkle Series’.

George Rouy’s work is experimental, a series of three canvas pieces, all showing a particular color or shape from an image that has been imitated each time to link the pieces as a continuation process for the viewer. George uses a combination of computer graphic programing and carefully converges the image on a canvas, creating an overlapping effect of color and shape without any tangible layering.

Lincocut press printing is mastered by Maria Macc. Her main interest is in ivy and the imprint it makes on paper once going through a printing press. Maria is fascinated by the Celtic symbolism of Ivy representing strength, resilience and survival. Process and change is central to her work, using natural forces, chemical reactions and re-interpretation of traditional art-making techniques. The resulting paper works feel carnal, impregnated with stains from pressed foliage and despite the pressure of the press still retain their dimensional imprint.

This recent graduate exhibition has not been done before in the gallery, but we are receiving a fabulous response to it. The works are contemporary and engage with the viewer and challenge our ideas on how an image is formed and developed. We can’t wait to do more in the future.