Artists have to traverse the flow of many ideas to find a way forward in their practice. The title of ‘Stepping Stones’ for Octagon’s latest exhibition at The Oxmarket gallery expresses this creative journey, and visitors will enjoy exciting new work produced by eight artists, each engaged in differing processes including painting, drawing, printmaking, stitching and markmaking.

Carolyn Mackwood has been inspired by the early works of Matisse, and by the designs of oriental textiles and carpets, in her depiction of beloved objects from home. She paints in oils, with focus on colour and composition.

Jennifer Smith has an interest in Inuit art, its simplicity and clarity, and she expresses her responses to this culture through depictions of birds and animals in oils and acrylics.

Sue England, painter and printmaker, past finalist of Sky Arts ‘Landscape Artist of The Year’, and artist-in-residence at Denmans Garden, Fontwell in 2023, will be showing works derived from photographs old and new, showing moments in ordinary lives.

Maggie Bacon will be exhibiting figurative portraits in oils – a successful departure from her recent practice of creating 3D models.

Linda Nevill, mixed media artist, shows a selection of her ‘deep dreamscapes’, made through the layering of inks, acrylics, gouache, pens, and stitching on paper.

Bea Veness produces semi-abstract prints using screenprint and linocut. Inspired by mid-century modernist printmakers, her work is handprinted on archival paper in small limited editions.

Sam McCormack has collaborated with nature by exposing her markmaking on paper to the elements in her garden, intervening at intervals during the magical process. She employed a variety of media.

Amy Tattersall is currently exploring transitions, through the versatility and sculptural quality of charcoal on paper, taking inspiration from the works of Frank Auerbach.

‘Stepping Stones’ will be a forward-looking, lively exhibition that will engage viewers in each artist’s path of exploration.

Mark Bradford began his exploration of sculpture during the Covid-19 pandemic - studying online with Sussex-based sculptor Marcus Cornish MRSS, through the Royal Drawing School. He found an honesty in sculpture and instinctively connected with the medium’s unique ability to capture and preserve the expression of an idea in three dimensions and to reflect upon and intervene in the world.

The sculptural objects in this exhibition are a unique physical record of Mark’s personal response to some of the ideas and philosophical thoughts contained in the allegories and writings of the past.

Walking in the West Sussex landscape has inspired many of these objects. Finding that Nature - often in an instant - can reveal itself by colliding with his inner voice and thoughts. An interestingly shaped flint picked-up from a freshly ploughed field; the trajectory of the falling autumn leaves - found objects and observations alike, acting in concert with his thoughts, pointing him towards a way of expressing artistically what is on his mind.

Mark is excited to bring these sculptural objects together for the first time under the roof of Oxmarket Contemporary – a place with an ancient and unique history; for his sculptural objects to share this space with viewers on the same terms and to see what sensations are created in the minds of those that experience them.

MYTH

PHILOSOPHY

NATURE

DREAMS

Oxmarket are delighted to welcome back artist Nicola Rose to the John Rank gallery for a 2 week exhibition. Nicola’s exhibition Elemental shows her recent work which is inspired by Colonsay and Jura in the Hebrides and by Shetland in the far north. There are also paintings inspired by Dartmoor, where, when the mists come down, Nicola feels cocooned and removed from the world.

Nicola travels to places of physical and inspirational isolation; islands of spiritual significance; liminal locations which transcend our earthbound boundaries. In her words Nicola says ‘My approach is uncompromising. I paint what I see and I paint how I feel. I paint directly from the wild which is often challenging but always life affirming and incredibly beautiful in all it’s moods.

Oxmarket is looking forward to welcoming Max Wildman to the Wilson gallery for an exhibition of work inspired by Alfred Wallis. Max says ‘It was inevitable that after a long-held interest in all forms of primitive and naïve art, he would eventually be drawn to the works of Alfred Wallis’. Viewing so much of Alfred Wallis’ unique style at first hand and up-close had a riveting effect, and so began an enduring fascination with the life and works of this, the most enigmatic of St Ives characters. Research into Alfred Wallis’ life, how he came to St Ives and how he was discovered, served only to intensify that initial interest in his paintings. A period of keen study ensued- examining the methods, techniques and materials used by Wallis, this was followed by several experiments (conducted out of sheer curiosity!) painting seascapes and ships using only those same materials and paints that Wallis himself would have used. After a few false starts, some satisfactory results began to emerge, but the Wallis influence was inescapable, and more and more, the style, character and spirit of Wallis’ work began to assert itself onto those early attempts. An uncanny ability to paint in the style of Wallis became apparent, and it was not long before commissions were being taken from a growing clientele to produce works that were quite intentionally in the style of Alfred Walls. Interest continued to grow apace, and now this Chichester-based artist’s work is much in demand from galleries, interior designers and collectors throughout the UK and beyond! Max Wildman first drifted into painting in 2005, about the same time as early retirement began to beckon. Now, most of his time is taken up with painting. He was born on Merseyside, but from an early age spent much time on the move – living in London’s East End, rural Yorkshire and the West Country. His chequered career path includes service in the Royal Marines, horticultural management, and latterly dealing in art and antiques.

After Keith Haring proclaimed that ‘Art is for everybody’, a generation of artists from the 60’s have been striving to make art relevant and accessible to all, not just an elite few. Access to art is the vision on which Oxmarket Contemporary was conceived by its founders and by which we continue to operate. We believe artists come from all walks of life and art can be enjoyed and owned in its many forms, by everyone.

Art is for Everyone, the exhibition where creativity meets accessibility!  It brings together a diverse range of talented artists and makers, offering high-quality artwork at affordable prices. Our goal is to make art accessible to everyone, whether you're a seasoned collector or a first-time buyer. Our curated collection reflects the vibrant spectrum of artists in our community, providing a platform to share their vision.  With a focus on emerging talent and unique artistic expressions, we showcase a variety of mediums, including paintings, print, photography, sculpture, ceramics, jewellery and mixed media.

Join us in supporting the arts, while celebrating affordability, diversity and inclusion through art.

During the exhibition we will be hosting courses run by artists and makers.  A chance for everyone to enjoy taking part in a creative activity.

Please join us for a series of Workshops and Demonstrations during the Art is for Everyone Exhibition from 21st January to 16th February
 
Oxmarket’s first exhibition of the year – Art is for Everyone – will be an exciting chance for people to experience art in Chichester with an affordability platform. As part of this experience, we would like to invite gallery visitors to take part in Workshop Events and Creative Demonstrations, in order that people can also try a new skill in an art practise themselves.
Dates as Follows

Wednesday 22nd January 2025 From 10.30am - Sheryl Pape a member of The Society of Botanical Artists will be demonstrating at the gallery.

Wednesday 29th January 2025 1 - 4pm Jo Flatt, Saltpot Studio will be offering a gold-leafing workshop. To book click here

Friday 31st January 2025 10.30 - 2.30 - Moira Cooper will be at Oxmarket demonstrating how she makes her chainmail Jewellery.

Saturday 1st February 2025 - Wendy Sturgess is a paper artist and will be running a workshop to create a giant Peony. To book click here

Saturday 1st February 2025 - Janice Tate and Ralf the Cockapoo 10.30 - 2.30pm - Book Signing. Come and meet the author and Ralf the Rascally Cockapoo.

Wednesday 5th February 2025 11.00 - 2.00pm - Jane Eastell, local ceramicist, join Jane in the gallery and make a ceramic bird or seed head. These will then be fired and glazed and ready for your house or garden. - £25 per ceramic.

Friday 7th February 2025 - 10.30 - 2.30 - Moira Cooper will be at Oxmarket demonstrating how she makes her chainmail Jewellery.

Friday 14th February 2025 1 - 4pm Jo Flatt, Saltpot Studio will be offering a gold-leafing workshop. To book click here

Saturday 8th February 2025 - 11.00 - 2.00pm Lauryn Lockyear will be at the gallery demonstrating her weaving techniques.

Wednesday 12th February 2025 11.00 - 2.00pm - Jane Eastell, local ceramicist, join Jane in the gallery and make a ceramic bird or seed head. These will then be fired and glazed and ready for your house or garden. - £25 per ceramic.

Thursday 13th February 2025 10.30 - 12.30pm - Rob Corfield, local land and sea scape artist will be at the gallery to demonstrate his techniques.

Saturday 15th February 2025 - 11.00 - 2.00pm - Lauryn Lockyear will be at the gallery demonstrating her weaving techniques.

Book Signing - Saturday 1st February

Jan Tate bio

Jan Tate is a retired doctor and accidental writer. She has lived and worked in Australia, Brazil, Afghanistan and Kosovo. She currently lives in Chichester and is the vicarious co-owner of Ralf.

Ralf the Rascally Cockapoo

Ralf the Rascally Cockapoo is a picture book for grown-ups inspired by a real life dog. Ralf is excitable and bouncy and has a nose for misadventure.

This is a small book that packs a large bark and will put a smile on your face.

Perfect as a light-hearted read for the coffee table or a unique gift for dog-lovers.

Our opening hours are Tuesday - Saturday 10.00am - 4.30pm and Sunday 12.00 noon - 4.00pm. 

Oxmarket are looking forward to Steve Bicknell exhibiting in the Wilson Gallery in December. Steve is a sculptor working in bronze and ceramics.  He has no preconceptions when he starts a new piece, often letting the clay influence the final form. Steve tends to use no tools, preferring to use his hands, which gives his work a very tactile feel.

The subjects of his work at present are: The beauty and strength of the human form alongside the suffering and frustration of humanity. He is also integrating elements of nature into the human form.

Steve has exhibited in galleries in Europe, Madrid, Rome, Venice and Paris with bronze work and this summer has had great success in Open House artist houses with his ceramics and is now building up collectors and followers.

Art collective Tea Coffee & Tequila is proud to announce HERE + NOW, a one-of-a-kind exhibition led by the creative duo Bobby Dazzler & Louise Duggan. This December, the pair bring their most ambitious show to date, a celebration of artistic diversity designed to introduce both emerging and established talent to new audiences in Chichester. “We’re on a mission to champion both emerging and established artists and bring their work to audiences who may not ordinarily get the chance to see it. For many of our artists, this will be their first time exhibiting in Chichester, and we’re proud to offer the opportunity for you to view and buy their work,” say Bobby and Louise.

The HERE + NOW exhibition aims to capture the vibrant energy in artists' studios across a wide variety of media, styles, and themes. From contemporary paintings and illustrations to sculptures and photography, the exhibit offers a truly dynamic look at the current art scene. Carefully curated to include something for every budget, the show provides a unique opportunity to find that perfect gift just in time for Christmas. Highlights of the exhibition include: Meet & Greet with Artists - Guests will have the chance to meet some of the artists, gain insight into their creative processes, and discuss the inspirations behind their works. A Welcoming Space to Unwind-With a warm, inviting atmosphere, the exhibition offers a perfect escape from the December chill. Art for Every Taste and Budget-Whether you're looking for a bold centrepiece or a thoughtful holiday gift, the variety of works on display ensures that everyone will find something to love.

HERE + NOW is more than an exhibition; it’s a celebration of creativity and a platform for artists to reach new audiences. This is a unique opportunity to discover fresh talent, support artists, and maybe even take home a piece that resonates. Don’t miss out on this exciting event!

Three Women - Painting together…

Nicole Phillips, Debs Moran and Sandra Izard are three friends and artists who’ve been painting together regularly for a number of years.  Oxmarket are delighted to welcome these talented artists to the Wilson Gallery for an exhibition of their work.

They offer inspiration, encouragement and support to one another as each explores their own process.  Despite different styles and approaches, they share a love of expressive painting driven by the natural environment, simplicity of form and the vibrancy of colour.  

‘Three Women 2024’ will showcase their recent work … rich in colour, expression and joy.

Oxmarket Contemporary is delighted to bring together 16 printmakers and 21 ceramicists in a unique exhibition showing a diverse range of work.

These artists explore a shared visual language through both figurative and abstract themes.

The ceramicists are some of the most talented, high-quality practitioners in The Southern Ceramic Group, a well-established organisation with over 200 members.

The printmakers have been selected because of their outstanding skills and originality expressed through the various printmaking processes.

This beautifully crafted exhibition will demonstrate the best in printmaking and ceramics and will be showing in our John Rank Gallery for 2 weeks.

During the exhibition there will be 2 talks:

Talk 1 Vasu Reddy and Sarah Mander - Title: Exploring what we don’t know - Date: Thursday 28th November - Time: 1pm – 1.30pm  

A conversation between Ceramicist Vasu Reddy and Printmaker Sarah Mander. Vasu and Sarah, who are both exhibiting in the current exhibition will explore the themes behind their work, methods of producing their work and the various techniques and tricks they use to help when they get stuck. This will be an informal discussion with time for Q/As

Talk 2 Ruth Barrett-Danes and Anton Page - Title: Our Shared Passions - Date: Thursday 5th Dec -Time: 1pm - 1.30pm

An informal talk highlighting how rich the cross fertilisation is between ceramics and print with the many shared craft skills. Including a short ceramic demonstration and sample printing plates of works in the exhibition. 

Oxmarket are delighted to welcome Clare Boyd-Wallis to the John Rank Gallery for a solo exhibition. Originally Clare worked in water colour and mixed media but was encouraged to switch to Oils by a fellow painter Paul Treasure.

Clare loves the ability Oils give her to continue to move around and work with the paint over a number of days, the layers of paint help to build depth and texture and she combines brushes and palette knives for her work.

Clare’s Influences have been the Landscape Artist Hester Berry and Kurt Jackson, she admires their ability to take the essence of a scene and distil it to convey drama and atmosphere.

Clare has always loved being outside and particularly the weather, trees and how being within the landscape makes her feel. Clare’s work is her response to it.  She said ‘A feeling of our insignificance with in the Landscape. A sense of our being part of an enormous space where we are also able to discover places of enclosure and calmness. In the face of nature our anxieties disappear and we are aware of our own insignificance within the natural world. A sense of time turning with the seasons without any heed to our human preoccupations’.

Clare doesn’t work outside but instead prefers to experience a place, take photos and memorize scenes. This means that she does not end up making a photo realist piece but instead back in her studio combines many elements to produce a painting.

Clare wants the viewer to want to be drawn in to her paintings and share her response to it.

Oxmarket are delighted to welcome Fiona Bell Currie for a solo exhibition in the Wilson Gallery.

Fiona Bell Currie migrated from Cheshire to Goldsmiths’ College in the 1970s to train as an art teacher. She worked in various London schools ending up lecturing in Observational Drawing in the Technical Illustration Department at Ravensbourne College. Fiona illustrated many cookery and garden books and magazines, worked for Kew and the RHS, and created artwork for Crabtree & Evelyn, Sainsbury’s, Boots and Waitrose packaging. She brought out homeware ranges for the National Trust. Juggling illustration with teaching she also designed gardens.

After forty years in London, Fiona escaped to Chichester in 2019.  She’s very happy painting with two cats in her studio and loves teaching adults painting and drawing at Lavant on Thursday mornings. In 2023 Fiona was selected to take part in SkyArts Portrait Artist of the Year. An unforgettable experience, particularly meeting Dame Joan Bakewell and Tai-Shan Schierenberg.

Over the last 18 months Fiona has revisited the same local sites under very different skies and recorded them in gouache. Her love of Sussex is plain to see in her paintings from the Trundle, around Bosham and in the very special Bishops Palace Garden in Chichester. Reflecting her earlier work in plants and fruit, she’s been painting plums in acrylics, seeing how dark one can go without losing form and suggesting air in the lovely garden at Fittleworth House.

Like most artists she is obsessed with light, colour and tone. Her day to day paints are water based and quick drying. Teaching adults really focuses her own practice.

Oxmarket are delighted to welcome back the members of TEN:artists. They met while studying Fine Art at the University for the Creative Arts, Farnham and have exhibited together regularly since graduating in 2010. The work produced by the group is diverse and includes drawing, painting, print making, textiles, mixed media and digital art. Individual members of TEN:artists have met with success in a variety of ways including; work held in the collection at the V&A London, membership of the international textile group ‘Prism’, selection for the Jerwood Drawing prize and being shortlisted for the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition.

Angie Hauser's work primarily involves drawing and painting which is often figurative including portraiture. She also enjoys exploring texture and colour in abstract forms that emerge from the use of multimedia materials. Angie was recently selected for the first Guildford House Open exhibition. 

Diana Foden delights in taking humble, mundane objects, usually found within the home and aims to present them with an expanded presence and importance. Drawing and painting are her preferred media. This exhibition, ‘Out of the Ordinary’ is perfect for how she would like her work to be viewed. 

Emma C Tabor’s drawings include the use of repetitive marks that develop into unique forms. They reflect the complexity of systems containing multiple parts. She has recently been shortlisted for the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize.

Colourism meets geometric abstraction in George Simpson’s work, which is completed in acrylics on canvas. The subject matter ranges from personal stories to social commentary and takes in the whimsical on the way.

Paulene Cattle uses textiles and print to convey her interest in the overlooked minutiae of her urban surroundings, often addressing the effects of man and nature on this environment. She is acutely aware of our impact on the planet and works solely with previously accumulated, recycled and found materials.   

Sandra Gratrix combines unusual and traditional materials in her drawings. In this series the use of watercolour, rust and gold leaf create semi abstract images of plants.

Oxmarket is proud to present Mind-Frame Essentials, a captivating group exhibition that delves into the core elements shaping human thought, emotion, and perception. Running from 29th October to 10th November 2024, this much-anticipated showcase will feature a diverse array of abstract artworks by 10 specially invited artists, each offering their unique interpretation of the exhibition’s central theme.

Mind-Frame Essentials explores the collaborative nature of the mind, offering audiences a chance to reflect on the inner workings of their own mental landscapes. Visitors are encouraged to consider how individual mental frameworks interact with and shape our collective reality, as the exhibition moves beyond traditional boundaries to create a space where possibilities are endless.

Come and enjoy work by Andy Stewart, b_app_tree aka Baiba Abelite, Imogen Pleydell-Bouverie, Ilze Preisa, Rafal Dobosz, Elina Sanda Zake, Peteris Lidaka, Liz Keyworth, Visvaldis Asaris, Ingrida Preisa.

Oxmarket are delighted to welcome back John Bradshaw for a solo exhibition in the Wilson Gallery. Since John was a small child, he has been inspired by the power of images, so as soon he could afford a camera, he began to put his instincts to work and has never really stopped. In 1997 he began to explore the creative possibilities of generating a coherent series of images linked to a theme. These “Projects” included The Grand Tour, Irish History, The Atlantic Slave Trade, The Greenwich Meridian and The Legacy of the Industrial and Agricultural Revolutions. These projects have been the subject of solo exhibitions in the UK and Ireland.

John has recently completed a study of the People, Places and Writings associated with the Isle of Wight and this work is the subject of the current Exhibition at the Oxmarket. The locations featured include Dimbola Lodge and the works of Julia Margaret Cameron (who lived here) together with Farringford, Appuldurcombe, Osborne House and Carisbrooke Castle with relevant quotations from Tennyson, Keats, W H Auden and others. PLUTO and its WWII connections are also covered, together with some Infra-Red Landscape subjects.

All of the images have been produced digitally and also include some ‘replicas’ of 19th century early photographic printing techniques.

John achieved the distinction of the Fellowship of the Royal Photographic Society (FRPS)  in 2005.

Emsworth Printmakers annual group exhibition will take place at Oxmarket Contemporary in Chichester from 15th – 27th October 2024.  A wide variety of printmaking techniques will be on show from nine of its talented members that includes; Julie Turner, Sue England, Fabiola Knowles, Jules Roper, Bea Veness, Sue Long, Carol Price, Louise Griffiths-Kimber and Jean Mallan.

Emsworth Printmakers is a proactive community of artists that meet regular to share their printmaking knowledge and to support each other on their creative and personal journeys.

Print enthusiasts can expect to see a mixture of screen printing, wood engraving, lino, collagraph and monoprint techniques on show mixed with some experimental approaches to printmaking.  All images and a selection of browser works and cards will be available for sale.

Artel will be joining us again this year for another exciting exhibition in the John Rank Gallery. ARTEL Contemporary Art Group is a pool of professional artists who work together to bring a rich and diverse range of artwork, subjects and media to communities, collectors and organisations through an annual exhibition in Chichester. Working in the South Downs area, each artist has developed a unique and informed practice that contribute to a strong selling exhibition each year. After many years of working to a theme, this October you will find the artworks reflect more of the individual artists’ personal subjects of interest. Artel was set up with the intention of adding a more contemporary edge  to Chichester’s historic art scene. It sought to challenge the norms; artists came together for discussions and sharing their work and community through mutual support and celebration. Today the current ARTEL artists continue to thrive.

Expect to see a diverse exhibition, covering a variety of art disciplines. Maureen Brigden (whose work was included in the RA’s Summer Exhibition 2024) is showing a modern day interpretation of 17th century Santos cave dolls, whilst Sandra Izard is showing mixed media paintings which are a response to her visit to Canada last autumn.

Sylvia Kopocek combines human, animal and imagined imagery, using colour and line. Deborah Michelson’s garden paintings, evoke the feeling of being in nature. Helen Solly is showing photographs and her metal sculptures, focusing on the surface of the metal and its reflections. Isabel Dodson creates narrative in her seascapes, using collaged newspapers. Bridget Woods aims to express energy - both visible and invisible - through the medium of transparent watercolour.

Sehila Craft, in her last year with Artel before moving to Dorset, is showing woven tapestries. Deborah Richards will be exhibiting unique print and mixed-media works inspired by local Harbour drawings. Tiffany Robinson creates oil paintings on chalk gesso board and are glimpses of the unexpected transcendence found in grieving; Tiffany says ‘death is the passing from one way of being to another, and relationship evolves and grows through the language of loss and miracles’.

Martin Smith’s paintings are conceptual, seeking to answer the Met office’s question “Can moonlight generate a visible rainbow?” Carol Naylor's stitched textiles are a response to land and skies observed in Yorkshire, Sussex, and Northern Spain. Lorraine Molin’s  recent work has been inspired by the colours and lines of landscape, buildings, weather, movement, trees and sea.

Oxmarket are looking forward to welcoming Kate Rosie to the Wilson Gallery. Kate says her driving force has always been a passion for art from being a young girl through to an adult. In this body of work Kate wanted to demonstrate different ways of working so as not to become formulaic.

For her upcoming exhibition Kate says ‘There are no limitations as to what one can do, and as we are all unique, that gives one permission to be unique in what we want to express visually through our art practice. Exploring and experimenting comes with ‘joy’ and it is vital to continue in that vein so my work keeps on being fresh and new. As I paint semi-abstracts in landscapes and seascapes, in addition to still life, collage, and more recently abstracts, I hope I am able to appeal to a wider audience in my choice of subject’

Kate is originally from the N.E. of England and travelled South with her then husband and a babe in arms in 1977. Art was a hobby Kate combined with bringing up a family. In 1997 Kate’s twin sister died of Cancer, and from then until now, she has tried to reclaim some sense of identity loss. Within three years of her twin’s passing Kate turned her hobby into serious study as she embarked on a Foundation Course and a Fine Art Degree (part-time) at UCA Farnham, over a period of seven years in total. Kate found this hugely challenging, however on the Foundation course she discovered a penchant for 3D. For the first three years of her five year degree she worked with raw materials, building and constructing installations. It was significant in as much as it provided Kate with an outlet for her grief, that she couldn’t do with painting. In the final two years of her degree Kate reverted to painting, and since graduating in 2006 has continued and found her passion again. Kate does this in honour of her twin, for the gift of creating and the life lived without her. Kate says ‘Any highlights can only be measured by my life after my twin and the love and support of family and friends who have also been on this creative journey with me’.

Oxmarket are delighted to welcome AG Creatives to the Wilson Gallery. The group can usually be found at Artisan Gallery in North Street, Chichester which they run together as a cooperative. AG Creatives is made up of artists and makers, several whom have been working professionally in their chosen genre for decades, others who are returning to art after time out. For the group, creating art is an urge that just can’t be ignored. Self-taught or formally educated the creation of art is what brought the group together, sharing what they create with the public enables them to carry on creating by financing their lives, expressing their passions, and helps to validate their work.

For AG Creatives, the idea of exhibiting together in a ‘loosely’ themed exhibition was a great creative challenge. Giving many of the group the impetuous to create something different and new from the work on display at their own Gallery.

In this exhibition they will have work from 11 artists and makers each inspired in their own way by the countryside and coast they reside near. AG Creatives felt that ‘one cannot avoid being influenced by the beauty of the Sussex and Hampshire downland and coast’. Each piece of art in the exhibition has come about with influence of the theme from the Downs to the Dunes, whether indirectly or purposely.

Consuo is an exhibiting group of textile artists who create 2D and 3D artworks using a variety of processes including weaving, knitting, stitching, dyeing, printing, basketry and mixed media.  Taking their name from the Latin for ‘to sew together’, Consuo Textile Art comprises alumni from the Masters Degree textile course at the University for the Creative Arts, Farnham.  

This exhibition, ‘Unravelling Textile Traditions’, will feature a wide variety of textile techniques and materials with inspiration stemming from the natural world, the built environment, from personal experience as well as from the materials themselves.  The artists in Consuo are continually exploring and investigating the traditional and the unconventional to produce uniquely designed and constructed work. 

Elena Sparke, for example, grows her own indigo plants and uses the dye to handprint patterns in a series of works that reimagine the handcrafted Verdure tapestries of the 17th and 18th centuries.  The original Verdure (foliage) tapestries featured woodland landscapes in greens and blues, and large leaves were often a dominant element.  Elena’s pieces address themes of memory, the passage of time, continuity of culture and the preservation of heritage.  A particular tapestry over the stairs at West Dean College was a part of her inspiration.

Deb King is inspired by the worn ledger stones in Chichester Cathedral. Her intricate silk passementerie involves hand spinning cords from very fine silk thread.  These are then placed in the warps to make pieces celebrating the interwoven lives of families and communities and the spaces they leave behind.  Passementerie is an endangered craft so it is especially encouraging to see it included here.

Tara Kennedy’s textile art is her response to the landscape of Iceland as winter changed to spring, with patterns and shapes created by the thawing snow and ice.  She uses exclusively Icelandic wool.

Consuo invariably produce innovative work that appeals to a wide audience. 

Oxmarket are excited to present Martyn Jones with a solo exhibition in the John Rank gallery for 2 weeks. Martyn Jones is a contemporary painter who works from his studio based in Cardiff, Wales. Jones graduated M.A. Fine Art, at Chelsea School of Art, London and was awarded Junior Fellowship at Bath Academy of Art. Among his tutors were the British artists Patrick Heron and Adrian Heath. Jones work is held in public and private collections across Europe and U.S.A.

Martyn says ‘My works are abstract, but the inspiration and basis for them are found in reality and the world around me. My experiences of the world are the prime material for abstraction, employing my personal alphabet of shapes and colour. My responses are really a stream of consciousness that I hope evokes the way in which I see the world, which to me is always a place of beauty’.

Oxmarket are delighted to welcome The 2021 Group with their first exhibition in the Wilson Gallery titled Elements. The five artists in this exhibition studied together on the Foundation Diploma of Art and Design at West Dean College of Arts and Conservation. As the course progressed, they each discovered different interests and a love for different media: Matt painting, print and photography, Grace charcoal, oils and the depiction of natural forms; Paul is a painter and printmaker, Sandra works in watercolour, acrylics and charcoal and Penny charcoal and acrylics. Their exhibition will take you from rural Surrey to Africa and the United States via fantasy forests and luscious bouquets, in intense monochrome and vibrant colour. The artists will be coming together again for an exhibition to showcase their work. Their styles are a mix of pencil, charcoal, acrylic, watercolour and print and should be an exciting and varied exhibition.

Oxmarket Contemporary has invited well known artists and makers, many of whom have a strong relationship with the Gallery, to participate in the Wish You Were Here Exhibition, this exhibition will be in both galleries for 2 weeks. The exhibition will celebrate ‘Where we live’ illustrating and reflecting aspects of our local area of Chichester, South Downs and the South Coast. A local scene, piece of architecture, a monument, the feeling of a hot summer’s day - an iconic image that we might send in a postcard to a friend or relative. The exhibition is being held at the height of summer, when people are on holidays, tourists are visiting our area and these artworks will also be representative of recognisable scenes to visitors to the gallery.

Alongside Wish You Were Here and as part of the exhibition we will hold a silent auction of ‘Postcards’. Oxmarket have invited around 90 local artists and makers to paint, print and decorate boards that represent postcards. The artists have been asked to illustrate something about where they live, in this local area, that they would want to send to a friend, loved one, relative. Also a recognisable ‘place’ to the gallery visitors, who may be tourists/visitors in the area. These will be on show in a mini gallery throughout the exhibition and there will be a Silent Auction on paper, bids placed in a sealed post-box in the Gallery, the highest bid winning the purchase of the individual item at the end of exhibition.

Oxmarket is thrilled to present Equus. a celebration of the long storied connection of Sussex to the equine. It is one that is constantly being renewed in racetracks like Goodwood or Fontwell, in polo matches at Cowdray Park, and hacks through the South Downs. The indelible marks of this connection can be seen in the soil itself, from flurried hoofprints to the chalked form of the Litlington White Horse.

Throughout the year riders travel from around the world to Sussex to build on this rich heritage. A richness that is matched in paint and clay as both local and international artists gather to show work capturing the various aspects of horses. Their work ranges from dynamic and immediate studies of Andalusian dressage horses, to finely wrought oil paintings of dignified racehorses, to titanic watercolours capturing power and grace in vibrant marks.

Oxmarket are delighted to welcome Nicole Phillips for a solo exhibition in our Wilson Gallery. Nicole’s exhibition, "The Joy of Being," explores the profound experience of being fully present in each moment, guided by an intuitive combination of observation and feeling. This collection embodies her unique perspective on the world, capturing the enchantment of life's subtle details through deliberate brushstrokes, nuanced tones, and vibrant colours. These elements fuel Nicole’s creative process, infusing her work with energy and inspiration. As she navigates through a variety of themes — from the sweeping vistas of landscapes and seascapes to the intimate charm of still life — she is experimenting with different materials. Nicole’s goal is to inspire viewers to embrace the beauty around them, encouraging a deeper appreciation for the natural magic that our everyday environment holds.

Oxmarket are delighted to showcase work from the Sussex County Arts Club - ‘Volunteers and Prize Winners Show’ which is based in central Brighton and is open to both amateur and professional artists.  The Club was formed in 1944 by a group of disaffected artists from The Brighton Arts Club who were unhappy about their policy of not allowing female members. The premises are still where they are today, in Bond Street Cottages, a building currently with five studios that had previously been the Green Room Club, a late-night watering hole for the clientele of the Theatre Royal.

From 1944 the club thrived with large exhibitions in various locations including Brighton Museum and the Hove Library gallery. By the mid 1960’s the club had 300 members, with several branches in other parts of the county. There is a varied programme alongside the drawing and painting sessions that includes lectures and in the summer months outside sketching and weekend schools with tutors.

Sussex County Arts Club are a non-profit making organisation run by volunteers but they do pay for bookkeeping/accounts, a cleaner and of course their models! Their aim is to provide the community with cheap and affordable art sessions for all.

The art work coming to the John Rank gallery will be a mixture of painting, drawing and sculpture. One of the members will be at Oxmarket giving a talk on anatomy during their 2 week exhibition.

Oxmarket are delighted to showcase two printmaking groups in the John Rank gallery. Exhibiting together for the first time, Richmond Printmakers and Southbank Printmakers are a group of 25 artists. They are professional printmakers, promoting and preserving the traditions of printmaking whilst also exploring and embracing new and experimental approaches to making original prints. The practice covers a wide variety of printmaking techniques including etching, mezzotint, wood cut and engraving, linocut, screenprint, collagraph, monotype, and lithograph. This exhibition aims to show how varied and exciting printmaking can be. All the work in the exhibition is original and handprinted.

Oxmarket Contemporary are excited to welcome back Don Noble for his third exhibition, having exhibited in 2011 and 2015. Don usually sells to private collectors and has recently undertaken some portrait commissions.  Don is inspired by contemporary life and the uniqueness of being in a specific place and point of time, the poignancy of that and the need to mark and celebrate it. Most recently Don has been working from his studio in Billingshurst focusing on imaginatively interpreting “ The Uninhabitable Earth“ a  book by David Wallace Wells about global warming and what could happen in the future. Inspired by reading this, Don has created a series of 8 paintings entitled “A View of the World”, which are very topical right now. These new paintings have a surreal quality to them and give the viewer food for thought. Don says ‘My painting is a personal  exploration and I am never sure what the outcome will be’.

Tea Coffee & Tequila, the brainchild of artists Louise Duggan and Bobby Dazzler are back again with a brand-new show at Oxmarket Contemporary this June.

After the standout success of their shows last December & this February, the duo are back to bring you their new event – Art is(t) Life – A print-based showcase of some of Sussex’s most interesting artists working today.

The duo are keen to support and champion local talent, offering an eclectic show of emerging and more established artists. The show takes over the more intimate Wilson Gallery and is designed to compliment the University of Chichester’s Fine Art  Degree Show in the larger Rank Gallery during the same period.

‘We’re excited to see what the young talent produces as they begin their journey in the creative world – we hope to inspire them by showing them what can be produced by artists a little further along in their journey for whom art is life’ said the duo.

Artists include Louise Duggan, Bobby Dazzler, Wocco, Tamp, Marnie Glue, Bimbi Urquhart, Curly Mark, Leyland Fairchild, Billzie, Freddie Bella & Kimberley Nicolle

Oxmarket are looking forward to welcoming the University of Chichester’s Fine Art Graduates for their Fine Art Degree Show. The Exhibition is supported by The Arts Society and will show in the John Gallery for 2 weeks. The group have largely known each other since 2021 when they started their Fine Art BA degree at the University of Chichester. They’ve each developed a unique and particular way of working in Painting & Drawing, Printmaking, Textiles and/or Sculpture that reflects 3 years of focused development. Each graduate has a clear material practice, an understanding of how Art can embody current ‘ideas’, and a professionalism that signals a way forward as artists making work that’s interesting and relevant.

These 14 artists have each developed a way of working that’s unusual and personal, and all have been heavily influenced by modern and contemporary artists in terms of technique, style and the ideas inherent in the work.   They have clear intentions in their work and have spent years refining their ability to communicate messages and feelings. These are often ambiguous, requiring the audience to negotiate their way into the work and fill in the gaps.

The 14 artists are Paul Bellingham - painter, Gemma Burns - painter, Madeleine Conrad - painter, Ella Demi – textile artist and painter, Poppy Elstob - painter, Nadia Francis – textile artist, Laura Hackett - painter, Jasmine Johnson - painter, Bella Kim - painter, Bel Lowe – painter and installation artist, Abigail McDonagh - painter, Sana Legh-Ellis – sculptor and printmaker, Deborah Rainsford - painter, Gabriela Witkowska – textile artist. Each artist has a unique approach to Painting & Drawing, Printmaking, Textiles and/or Sculpture, one that reflects their artistic journey and personal biography.