Gallery Exhibition 'River Landscapes: The Wetlands'

New paintings by Arlene Sharp & Dhama Thanigasapapathy

Drawing inspiration from wetlands, riversides and other water-rich environments, River Landscapes: The Wetlands brings together the work of painters Arlene Sharp and Dhama Thanigasapapathy. Both artists immerse themselves in the natural landscape, sketching, photographing and observing the subtle shifts of light, weather and season. Through a process of layering and refinement, these experiences are transformed into semi-abstract paintings that balance atmospheric expression with a strong sense of place.

The exhibition is inspired in part by time spent at the London Wetland Centre, where changing waterways, rich habitats and expansive skies provide a continual source of inspiration. While each artist approaches landscape through a distinct visual language, their work shares a fascination with the relationship between observation, memory and imagination.

Arlene Sharp graduated in 2023 with a First-Class BA (Hons) in Painting from the Open College of the Arts and was nominated for the New Blood Emerging Art Prize. Working in acrylics and mixed media, her paintings explore personal experiences of landscape, capturing the emotional resonance of place through colour, texture and layered mark-making.

Dhama Thanigasapapathy also graduated in 2023 with a First-Class BA (Hons) in Painting from the Open College of the Arts and was awarded the prestigious Freelands Painting Prize. Her work combines an interest in science, psychology, futurism and environmental change, creating powerful paintings that reflect both the beauty and unpredictability of the natural world.

Together, their paintings offer a compelling dialogue between two contemporary approaches to landscape, inviting viewers to reflect on the environments that surround us and our connection to them.

• Dates: 2 July to 29 September
• Time: 10:00am until 5:30pm 
• Where: Gallery (above shop)

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