Belmacz is pleased to present ‘Lions on Water’, an exhibition of works by Keith Coventry, Paul Housley, Laura Fiorio, Nigel Massey, Massimo Nordio, Walter Sickert and Joel Tomlin.

The long-standing axis between Venice and London is explored through the works of these artists. These two cities are magnets; they have for century’s inspired and fascinated artists, and through these selected works we are able to see the contrast of approach. London exudes masculine, eccentric and ironic art, and Venice is feminine, exuberant and an ode to the past.

Keith Coventry (b. 1958) lives and works in London. He attended Brighton Polytechnic 1978 - 81 and holds an MA from Chelsea School of Art. His work has been exhibited widely in the UK and Europe and is included in collections worldwide: the British Council, Tate Modern, Arts Council of England, Walker Art Centre, Minneapolis and Ihe Museum of Modern Art, New York. In 2010 Coventry was awarded the John Moores Painting Prize.

Paul Housley (b. 1964) holds an MA from the Royal College of Art. Recent solo exhibitions include: Monte Clark Gallery, Vancouver, 2013; England Sleeps, Poppy Sebire, London, 2012, Mudpusher Blues, Zieher Smith, New York, 2012, A Yellow Bird at Night, Peter Bergman, Stockholm, 2011, Night Painting, Sunday LES, New York, 2008. Group exhibitions include: Keep Floors and Passage Clear, White Columns, New York, 2011, She Awoke With a Jerk, Andrea Rosen Gallery, New York, 2010, Repetition: Paintwork3, Galerie Borchardt, Hamburg, 2009, Things We Know, Jessica Bradley Art and Projects, Toronto, 2007.

Laura Fiorio (b. 1985) lives and works between Venice and Berlin. She holds a BA in Visual Arts from the IUAV University in Venice; in 2010 she graduated from the Venice Art Academy in New Media and Arts. Recent exhibitions include: Emersioni, Casa dei Tre Oci, Venice, 2012, L'architettura nel mondo, Triennale, Milan, 2012, Desertmed, NGBK, Berlin, 2012.

Nigel Massey (b. 1969) lives and works in London. He trained in painting at the Royal Academy Schools. His work has been exhibited in the UK and Europe and includes Hearth, Charlie Dutton Gallery, London (solo show), 2012, Angelika Open, 2012, Angelika Studios, High Wycombe, 2012, Contemporary Visions, Beers Lambert Contemporary, London, 2012, APT Creekside Open, APT Gallery, Deptford, 2012.

Massimo Nordio (b. 1947) lives and works in Venice. He trained as a cinematographer and photographer. Among many personal and group shows he has held the following solo exhibitions: Avventurine, Correr Museum, Venice, 1999 and Zodiac, Furukawa Art Museum Nagoya, Japan, 2001. His work was the subject of a book by Attilia Dorigato, published by Arsenale Editrice. Nordio's works are on permanent display at the Museo Vetrario, Murano, Venice, Glass Kunst Museum, Dusseldorf, Musèe des Arts Décoratives, Paris.

Walter Sickert (b. 186o - 1942) was a painter and printmaker who was a member of the Camden Town Group in London. Sickert was a cosmopolitan and eccentric who often favoured ordinary people and urban scenes as his subjects. His oeuvre also included portraits of well-known personalities and images derived from press photographs. Between 1894 and 1904 Sickert made a series of visits to Venice, initially focussing on the city's topography and then working from multiple figures. The first retrospective of Sickert's work was at the National Gallery in 1941, he exhibited and was an artist of the Fine Arts Society, and in 1992 there was a major retrospective at the Royal Academy.

Joel Tomlin (b. 1969) lives and works in London. He was trained primarily as a painter at the Chelsea School of Art. Joel tiomlin has over recent years been working with mixed media and is currently concentrating on sculpture, predominantly using wood and bronze. At present his work is on show at Galerie des Kronacher Kunstvereins, Kronach; and his work was exhibited along with works by Roger Hilton at Belmacz Gallery, London, 2013. Tomlin's work has been exhibited widely in UK, Switzerland and U.S.A.