259. Sue Arrowsmith - Enlightened 2

2026
Acrylic and Silver Leaf on aluminium panel
18 x 18 cm

Sue Arrowsmith rose to prominence in the 1990s after graduating from Goldsmiths, University of London with a BA (Hons) in Textiles. Her work explores the fleeting yet powerful experience of encountering nature, with a particular focus on trees and their intricate forms. Through painting and drawing, Arrowsmith seeks to capture moments of beauty, stillness, and contemplation, inviting viewers into a quieter engagement with the natural world.

At the centre of her practice is a deeply observant approach to colour, light, and atmosphere. Absorbed by the rhythms and subtleties of the landscape, she translates these sensations into works that balance delicacy and intensity. Her paintings become manifestations of an intimate relationship with the environment, shaped by sensitivity to form, texture, and light.

Arrowsmith studied at Tameside College of Technology, Ashton-under-Lyne (1984–1986), before completing a BA (Hons) in Textiles at Goldsmiths College of Art, London (1987–1990).

Recent solo exhibitions include Painting The Light at Purdy Hicks Gallery, London (2025); The Light that Carries Me at Galerie Andres Thalmann, Zurich (2025); Flickering Light at Mucciaccia Contemporary, Rome (2023); Light Up My Sky at Purdy Hicks Gallery, London (2022); Natura Naturans at Luca Tommasi Arte Contemporanea, Milan (2020); and Let the Wind Blow Through Your Heart at Galerie Andres Thalmann, Zurich (2019).

Selected group exhibitions include Another Voice, New Work for the New Year at Purdy Hicks Gallery, London (2026); Sublime Space at the Heath Robinson Museum, London (2025); Blue: The Pursuit for the Heavenly Colour at Purdy Hicks Gallery, London (2024); Nature Morte at Guildhall Art Gallery, London (2018); Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, London (2007); Art Futures with the Contemporary Art Society at Bloomberg Space, London (2003, 2005, 2007); and the Jerwood Drawing Prize exhibitions (2001–2002).

Awards include being a prizewinner at the John Moores Liverpool Exhibition 20 (1997) and the NatWest Art Prize, London (1998). Her work is held in major public and private collections, including Fidelity Investments, the Arts Council Collection, the Goldman Sachs Collection, the Kupferstichkabinett of the National Gallery of Berlin, the Royal Bank of Scotland Art Collection, the San Diego Museum of Contemporary Art, the Government Art Collection, and the British Museum.