The Island, in St Ives, is at the centre of a new Martha Holmes exhibition coming to the New Craftsman Gallery from 27th May.
The Island Revisited introduces a collection of paintings that capture the colours and forms in and around The Island, paired with compositions inspired by Martha’s studio interior.
Painted at her beach hut and in the studio, the paintings capture West Cornwall’s seasonal shift into spring as the intensity of light alters, with soft sage greens, fresh whites, vivid cobalt blues, and the sweeping curve of the tide as pivotal motifs in many of her works.
Small-scale paintings in the collection offer an intimate connection to the unique environment of St Ives, while larger works immerse viewers in an expanse of space, by way of simpler, more paired back marks and flat planes of colour.
The series also includes a body of still life paintings that capture moments within the studio and interior of the beach hut, with vessels of seasonal blooms, full of warmth and colour, that bring a more considered and refined feel to this new collection by one of Cornwall’s most collectable young artists.
Also on show will be new work by ceramicist Chris Keenan, who is known for his hand-thrown Limoges porcelain. In this collection he continues to explore the colour combinations and surface details exhibited at his New Craftsman show of 2021, including mirror-black and rust-coloured tenmokus enhanced by the addition of striking deep reds, plus new works in the pale blue green of pure, unadulterated celadon.
The exhibition is complemented by a showcase of work by jewellery designer Emily Nixon, whose work responds to the beauty of the tideline, reflected through texture, colour and form. This new collection is centred around her latest Pebble and Adakite designs, a combination of small, irregular stones around a central natural sapphire.
• The Island Revisited is at the New Craftsman Gallery, Fore Street, St Ives, from 27th May until 23rd June.
