"Blown away" by Ian Murphy: The Light Within

Artist Ian Murphy in the Gallery talking to visitors. Photo credit: Geoff Carverhill.

Visitors to Ian Murphy’s latest exhibition at the gallery have been “blown away” and one art student from Campion School was so inspired that their next project will be based on Ian’s work.

Ian travels internationally with his sketchbook, capturing the essence of places he discovers through powerful, atmospheric paintings and drawings. Many of these places exude the qualities of neglect and abandonment, capturing 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 in the work, 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 included recent work from visits to Venice and Asia.

Ian’s excellent talk on the opening Sunday was well attended and visitors were also treated to a look inside his sketchbooks. Here’s an excerpt of his talk where he is responding to a question about the Asian cultures he likes to explore in his art.

Ian Murphy’s talk at his exhibition The Light Within at The Heseltine Gallery, responding to a question about the Asian cultures he likes to explore in his art. Video credit: Sue Carverhill.

Photos of the exhibition are available to view in our Photo Gallery.

Links: Ian’s Website and Instagram Page