Ian Murphy: The Light Within
Majesty of Ca D'Oro, Venice, Ian Murphy
Artist Ian Murphy travels internationally with his sketchbook, capturing the essence of places he discovers – places that exude the qualities of neglect and abandonment – in a way that shows the ‘beauty in imperfections’. His paintings not only embody the history of the site but also symbolise the importance of how people exist within their communities.
The presence of a hidden light source is an important ingredient which gently manipulates the audience into wanting to ‘walk in’ to the painting, trying to follow an enticing journey through to the inner courtyard or through a partially obscured passageway.
This exhibition will show recent work from visits to Venice and Asia, including Beijing, Wuzhen and Cambodia.
Opening times
Sunday 11 January – Friday 13 February 2026
Open Sundays to Fridays (closed Saturdays)
10am – 4pm
FREE admission
“Dwellings, passageways and Doorways are all important functional components of living, the aesthetic appearance can very much take a back seat to the practicality of their construction. When I explore these often mundane locations I am aware that I am taking the ordinary and immediately elevating the status to something of the extraordinary. My paintings have to capture the ‘essence’ of the place; I want you to see the cultural identity and the ‘hidden voice’ of the people who live there - this is why it is important for me to add layers of symbolic text to the surface.””
Images and words courtesy Ian Murphy, https://www.ianmurphyartist.com/about/