Contemporary artist Robyn Ward unveiled his immersive exhibition Walking in the Dark, featuring a special collaboration with The Big Pink frontman Robbie Furze, at a star-studded private viewing in London on Thursday (5 October).
The week-long installation at Old Sessions House in Clerkenwell will be open to the public during London’s Frieze week (11-15 October).
Curated by artistic director Shai Baitel (Modern Art Museum Shanghai), Walking in the Dark features 22 large painted canvases and six freestanding sculptures inspired by Ward’s nomadic lifestyle.
English rocker Furze has created an original composition in response to the artworks and to complement the viewers’ experience.
House of the Dragon star Matt Smith, Emma Laird, Lottie Moss, Lady Mary Charteris, Kevin Bishop, artist Daphne Guinness, Fantastic Beasts star Samantha Morton, Victoria Aspinall, Elena Ora and Vera Sahatçiu were among the guests on Thursday to witness the multi-million-pound show, proceeds of which will go to Cancer Research UK.
The exhibition is designed to act as a launch capsule for a new cultural foundation in aid of the charity, which has affected the two artists on a personal level.
Robyn Ward with Matt Smith— (Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
Furze launched The Pamela Ann Foundation in tribute to his mother, who is undergoing a long battle with the disease. A series of new visual art collaborations and experiences are set to follow Walking in the Dark both in the UK and abroad.
Elena Ora— (Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
The immersive exhibition in London will also take visitors into the basement at Old Sessions House where they will experience the installations with the use of miner’s hard hats and headlamps in the pitch-black darkness, reflecting the deep subconsciousness of the artist and his creative process.
‘Shadow Dancer’ by Robyn Ward— (Robyn Ward)
Ward says: “Robbie has composed something beautiful which links the paintings and the music together in an incredible way. It will be as if people are actually exploring my own subconscious in the darkness, which makes Robbie’s soundtrack such an important part of the experience. It really brings my emotions to life.”
“‘I love creating atmospheres and soundscapes and I like to think that my music creates an almost meditative effect, so you can appreciate Robyn’s work even more by enhancing the whole experience, working with it rather than distracting from it,” Furze added.
‘Distant Memories’ by Robyn Ward— (Robyn Ward)
“We’re really grateful to be part of the Walking in the Dark exhibition, which is helping to raise money for our life-saving work. We’re at a really exciting time for research, and making progress every day to create a world where people can live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer. Every donation makes a difference. Together we are beating cancer,” says Caro Evans, Director of Partnerships, High Value Fundraising Events and Talent Relations – Cancer Research UK.
Artist Daphne Guinness— (Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
Ward was born in Dublin before moving to Belfast aged five. He was expelled from Campbell College at the age of 15, from which point he adopted a nomadic lifestyle. “From 18 to 25 I don’t think I spent more than seven or eight months in a row in one city,” he says.
Robyn Ward in his studio— (Robyn Ward)
Inspired by the works of Jackson Pollock and Banksy, Ward’s mixed media works have been featured at the Royal Monceau Gallery in Paris, the House of Fine Art in London and have been included in a number of key auctions around the world.
Lottie Moss and Felix Le Flaneur— (Vianney Le Caer/Invision/AP)
“To embark on Ward’s art journey and see the subtlety of this ubiquitous psychological tension manifested in his work requires an openness to experiencing catharsis this impactful – of seeing one’s life in all its tensions and contradictions reflected through the artist’s creation,” says Baitel.
‘Faces in the Night’ by Robyn Ward— (Robyn Ward)
“Like the abstracted nature of Ward’s artworks, a nomadic sensibility often abstracts the deeper reasons for such roaming. His work begets questions around what exactly Ward is veiling through his travels. Like the act of walking in the dark, viewing Ward’s work requires one’s eyes to adjust to see what would otherwise not be detected.
“In Ward’s work there is energy, a level of brightness, that shows the ability and possibility to emerge from and embrace the shadow.”
Walking in the Dark will be open to the public at Old Sessions House in Clerkenwell between 11 and 15 October.
