New Chichester exhibition explores the edge where land meets sea

Oxmarket chairman Sophie Hull said: “It’s great for the Oxmarket Contemporary to find new local talent such as Nikki. Visiting her studio in Pulborough brings to life the life of an artist and it is wonderful to meet and hear all about the background to her fabulous works. We are always on the hunt for new artists and looking forward to having more exhibit this year in the Rank and Wilson galleries.”

Nicola, who is based near Pulborough, said: “This exhibition came from the idea of a semi-retrospective of the varied and inspiring places that I have experienced over the last few years. I have not shown at the Oxmarket for many years and I am delighted to be back.

“My first passion has always been the sea. I have journeyed many times to the Isles of the Hebrides, Shetland and the diverse Cornish and Northumberland coastlines where I spend time in isolation walking, drawing, painting. I have always been drawn to the edge where land meets sea, and land and sea meet sky. Here extreme and opposing elements exist together, earth forms growing out of the sea and sea grinding down the earth. The drama and extreme weather of the coves and bays resonate deeply, a sky full of shadows and light, the land and the sea with gem-like colours that succumb in turn to grey mists, cutting me off from the world and allowing me to be absorbed into my surroundings.

“In this collection I have included works of spiritual buildings. I view these places as thin-places spaces that are between this world and the next. They are layered works that I hope hold the spiritual quality of elegant ruins flooded with light. Essentially my aim with this exhibition is to share this sense of wilderness and spiritual depth that is the core of my creative work. Having studied at the Kent Institute (Maidstone College of Art) until 1987 and Brighton Polytechnic until 1992 where I studied for the MA in fine art printmaking, I have since pursued a career as a painter. Early in my career I have worked as a scenic artist until I took my PGCE and now alongside my artistic career I teach part time in at Ditcham Park School near Petersfield.

“The influences that have guided my work have essentially been my love of travel. Though my latest work has concentrated on the British Isles in my youth I took off with backpack to India, Middle East, South Africa, Scandinavia, New Zealand, Iceland always with an eye to the landscape, weather and adventure. The highlight of my time as an artist has been when offered exhibition space at two cathedrals, Winchester and Guildford. I created a specific body of work for these beautiful buildings.”

Also showing is Choosing to Paint, an exhibition from Martin Smith running from February 28-March 18. Martin, who lives in Chichester, said: “This show is unmistakably about colour.”