Cath Ray Gallery -and Studios are pleased to present the Stephen Grey exhibition ‘Freedom’, open from 11th January to 1st March.
This exhibition showcases the last drawings and paintings by artist Stephen Grey, who passed away in January 2024. After a lifetime of drawing as part of his work, it was only in the final years of his life that Stephen had the freedom to create his own pieces purely for the joy of doing so. The exhibition includes some of his finest drawings, watercolours, and oil paintings, all created during this particularly productive phase of his life.
Stephen’s highly skilled hand brought character and life to his drawings and paintings. Every mark of the pencil and brushstroke brought soul to his amusing and sometimes tender images. These works, along with the success of his larger oil paintings, inspired Stephen to apply to Portrait Artist of the Year. He secured a place on the 2022 series, where his self-portrait and portrait of Helen Sharman won high praise.
In addition to portraits, Stephen produced many sporting scenes (especially of racehorses) and architectural works. These included both local buildings and the architectural features of Spain, where he lived for 14 years. Some of his larger oil paintings featured groups of figures, including a poignant unfinished piece of people queuing in an airport, which evokes a stillness as everyone waits in silence.
Gallery owner Cath Ray said: “Stephen worked in London during the 60s, 70s, and 80s, immersing himself in the creative scene of the time. He attended major art exhibitions and cultural events and was an inspiring conversationalist on all things art.
“He was generous with his knowledge and advice, both to me and to students at the studios. His contributions were invaluable when I set up the gallery in 2022, and he was the first to agree to an exhibition of his work, even before I had premises. The resulting show was one of my most successful – almost a sell-out.
“The Freedom exhibition is the culmination of his work before ill-health took over, and it has been organised with the help of his widow, Valerie. I hope we’ve done him proud and that his final body of work inspires other creatives to have faith in their abilities and to express themselves with the same freedom that Stephen found in his later years.”
The exhibition runs until Saturday 1st March, and all proceeds will go towards funding after-school clubs at the gallery, as well as providing materials grants for students who continue to study art full-time. The gallery also offers drop-in sessions for adults, and an eight-week Drawing course will run alongside the exhibition.
Cath Ray Gallery and Studios is open Monday to Saturday, 10.00am to 5.00pm (close at 2.00pm on Tuesdays) at 58b Bridgegate, Retford DN22 6QF. For more information, contact 07803 204424 or raybooks@msn.com.