NATURAL ORDER  (16.03.24 - 13.04.24)

Paintings, ceramics and bronze sculptures...

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Natural Order, our latest exhibition, celebrates the work of four artists who share a deep absorption in the environment, evident in the works... Bronze sculptures by Ama Menec and Neil Mason, alongside paintings by Lindsey Hambleton and ceramics by Ché Finch. It promises to be a fantastic exhibition!

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More about the artists...

Ché Finch​

Born in South Africa to parents of Scottish and French decent, Later being adopted to British parents of Northern and Jewish decent; then moving to and studying in the UK as a 10 year old. These multifaceted cultural and familial roots have imparted an indelible influence on Ché Finch's work. With a background in environmental work and teaching African Rhythmic Structures in her early twenties, Ché Finch's work traverses conceptual subjects and immersive practice lending to abstract imagery within her works; often honouring defining moments in life.

“My work is immersive, depicting states of mind which are of the moment, as much as concepts. There are also meditative qualities during the making process of the vases; tactile, auditory and internal which lend themselves to a gradual exploration of memories, visuals and concepts.​

Historically I had a keen interest in visual disturbance; in placing a line or mark where it might not work or might not please, and in what possible new visual signatures arose from this process. With my earlier processes centring around reducing visual noise in order to focus on key elements (which resulted in more abstract work). This was in part influenced by earlier experiences working briefly as a tutor in African Rhythmic Structures; which uses a core rhythmic structure as a vehicle to innovate complex sound (enabling all those incredible polyrhythmic tribal riffs); the music was intrinsically conceptual and imprinted on my DNA, surfacing and lending itself to creating works of art decades later. 

I am also interested in environments that have the potential to cultivate intense focus and the facilitation of 'deep work', and in neuroplasticity. Which is born out of traversing my native South African landscape as a child, and later the Norfolk Broads. Sublimity of nature indelibly printed. ​

Currently I'm working towards creating works that honour meaningful discussions I've had with my brother in South Africa for over twenty five years around social justice, grace and convergence.

Do what counts, the rest is noise". 

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Lindsey Hambleton

Having studied at both the Manchester Metroplitan University and the University of Manchester; Lindsey Hambleton studied both Art and Environmental Science degrees. Resulting in a body of work that clearly demonstrates Lindsey’s intellect for both subjects; her love of the environment and the scientific detail of zoology and ecology informing much of her work.

Working mainly on wood panel, Lindsey paints strong structural landscapes, often framed by trees, balanced by strong light and open spaces. Colours are inspired by the season, location and mood, and heightened to enhance emotion and structure. Central to Lindsey’s work are the balance of colour and form, as well as, the emotional draw of the landscape and pure sensation of colour itself. She’s a known colourist; and has exhibited extensively over the last twenty years; as well as, annually at the Battersea Art Fair, London for over 12 years.

John Fineran described Lindsey Hambleton's work as, Paintings are so very often as much about paint itself as they are about subject or source; a reality not universally understood. It can speak as eloquently as word or melody when exploited with intelligence and dexterity. Hambleton has this understanding in her very DNA.

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Neil Mason

Born in Wales, Neil displayed an early natural talent for modelling, gravitating to wildlife. However, pursuing a career in mental healthcare, serving both as a clinician and senior manager, it wasn’t until around 2009 he felt compelled to sculpt. Subsequently his sculptures attracted multiple awards, including winning the sculpture category at The David Shepherd Foundation, Wildlife Artist of The Year. He is an Honorary Fellow at The Wildlife Art Society International. Neil’s work is exhibited in Italy and Greece and across the UK with a range of galleries and wildlife art societies.

 

Fascinated with wildlife and its biodiversity, Neil the uses the Mesopotamian cultural inception of cuneiform writing as a device to analog our imperative to transform and adapt. Where pictographic animal illustrations on clay tablets – used as a means of communication – transitioned into abstract forms as cuneiform characters to form word-concepts. Neil imagines cuneiform tablets as moulds, employing the characters (negative voids) to cast positive triangular versions. These characters are assembled as recognisable animal representations on the cusp of segmenting into cuneiform characters. His sculptures encapsulate this transformative-adaptation as it grasps contemporary expression.

“Like many children I enjoyed anthropomorphic allegories along with the visceral meditative experience of transfiguring clay into animal models, and still do. I’m enthralled by wildlife’s sheer diversity, their super-powers, and astounding range of resilient adaptation to ever challenging environments. This fascination for me extends to our individual and collective encounters with this necessity to adapt, and to continuously recreate ourselves in bio-psycho-socially impermanent landscapes.”

Neil Mason's work has understandably won numerous awards in the last several years including; XIV Biennale Internazionale D’Arte Contemporanea e Design Di Firenze Terzo Premio ‘Lorenzo Il Magnifico’ Sculptura 2023, Luxembourg Art Prize: Certificate of Artistic Achievement 2022, Wildlife Artist of the Year - David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation: Shortlisted/Selected 2022,  The Wildlife Art Society International: Silver Citation 2022, The Wildlife Art Society International: Honorary Fellow Member - 2015, Marwell International Wildlife Art Society: Best Overall Art Work 2012 amongst many more.

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Ama Menec

With a BA (Hons) Applied Arts, University of Derby, West Country based artist Ama Menec is best known for her work in bronze, depicting wildlife and historical subjects. Pieces celebrate the successful reintroductions of species such as the Red Kite, and naturally recovering Buzzard, and mammals still threatened by human persecution. Ama is a passionate supporter of rewilding.

I try to express not just the beauty of each species I sculpt, but also to demonstrate something unique about that animal which sets it apart from other species. This can lead to some unusual poses, often drawing the eye to things rarely seen or never noticed.

Ama’s figurative sculptures reflect a 35 year fascination with our early pre-history and of later Archaic Greek stone sculpture and also her time teaching Lesbian Herstory which included Regency legend Anne Lister.

Her sculptures are stylistically inspired by etchings, woodblock prints, early 20th century illustration and Art Deco stone carving.

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