Freya Purdue: Murmurs from the Wide River

14 Jun-22 Jul 2023

PV 14 Jun 2023

Overview

Murmurs from the Wide River brings together works by the painter Freya Purdue that have been developed over the last few years. The title refers to a quiet calling that may be hard to hear at first, but which becomes insistent over prolonged duration, summoning us to address and acknowledge it. This signifies the idea or call of the inner life of humanity that runs like a vein of gold through us, linking us as human beings since time immemorial.

These paintings are visual explorations of soul traces and connections drawn from experiences of both inner and outer life. They are inspired by years of research into spiritual and visual cultures that link with the arts of making, painting, and ritual celebration. The subjects draw on a wide range of sources, from classical themes and histories in painting, to the subtleties of scientific, anthropological, philosophical, and mystical thought. Through the magical process of painting, these streams of research, and the painter’s experience and energy are interwoven to express each work’s distinct voice within the wider river’s flow.

“I approach each painting as a new journey, a new kind of sensitivity and living energy to be explored and realised. Each painting is nurtured over time to evolve a resolution that communicates this energy both through drawing and colour.”

“To me the practice of painting is both visionary and solitary and is traditional in this sense. Working alone in the studio is a way of opening the mind to the infinite space of the imagination. It becomes a sacred space within which original ideas can flow and be woven into new visual poetic realities”.

A painting’s colour and form are what carries it’s impact to the heart of the viewer. It sings the song embedded in the painting and opens the door to experiencing the life and soul of the work.

Freya Purdue lives on the Isle of Wight and has a studio at Osborne Stables in East Cowes. She studied at St Martins School of Art and Chelsea School of Art. As an established painter she has exhibited widely both nationally and internationally and has been a recipient of a number of scholarships and awards. Her work is currently held in public and private collections across the world including the UK, Europe USA, India and China.