Oxmarket are delighted to welcome Richard Dunkley to the Wilson Gallery for a 2 week exhibition of his photographs. Richard Dunkley had a 35 year career in fashion and advertising photography during which he worked for Vogue in five countries and many other magazines.  Based in New York for thirteen years he worked for many American and International clients, including book and record covers.  Richard won numerous awards for his advertising photography including The New York One Club Gold for a Mary Quant Cosmetics campaign.

Richard is now based in Chichester and concentrates on his personal work for exhibitions and two book projects, ‘Chair Stories’ now in pre publication and ‘The Written Word’ aimed at publication in 2026. Richard’s exhibition showcases his beautiful photography in black and white and colour.

Oxmarket are looking forward to an exhibition from four artists titled ‘Time…..’ in our John Rank Gallery.

Linda Foskett trained as a Cartographical Draughtsman at the Ordnance Survey and now enjoys the freedom of all forms of artwork. The thrill is when drawing, painting or printing a landscape she can now place a road, tree or a building wherever she wishes! As a multimedia artist Linda loves painting from nature.  Large and small Landscapes or Seascapes of the local Sussex area. Mainly oil paintings often taking these subjects into printmaking where they become more abstract.

Alexandra Beale is a sculptor and painter creating expressive figurative and semi-abstract works for house and garden. Working in bronze, bronze resin, ceramic, and oil, she focuses on capturing presence and movement-whether in a seven-foot figure or an intimate clay portrait. Self-taught and shaped by masterclasses, Alexandra has sculpted for over 30 years and sells and teaches from her home studio in West Sussex.

Sue Green is a painter inspired by the turbulence of the English Channel and the cultural intrigue of Parisian ‘café life’, Sue’s work is exhibited both nationally and internationally, including in ‘The International Contemporary Masters Volume VII’. A perception of movement is a consistent theme throughout Sue’s portfolio, which is achieved through her versatility in brushwork to embrace the subject matter. Renowned for an extensive palette of subtle hues contrasted with vibrant and tenacious colour, Sue’s art indulges in immersive depth and elegantly integrates abstract impressionism with contemporary vigour.

Frances Knight is a contemporary landscape artist working mainly in oils. She paints outside on location directly from nature, and then works on larger paintings from these studies once back in the studio. Interested in the interplay between abstraction and representation, she seeks to express an inner dialogue between subjective experience and objective reality. Her paintings are a joyful expression of light, colour and atmosphere.

Oxmarket are looking forward to being one of the touring venues for Chichester Festival Theatre’s new exhibition - New Ventures. Discover the fringe venues that inspired the opening of The Nest.

This intriguing new exhibition, will now tour local partner venues, to celebrate the unique history of temporary theatre spaces at CFT – all the way back to New Ventures and The Tent, exploring the roots of the CFT Studio Company and Theatre on the Fly, and never forgetting Theatre in the Park and The Spiegeltent! 

The fourteen artists of Artel are delighted to be returning to Oxmarket Contemporary for their annual collective exhibition - ‘The Space Between’. This band of local creatives came together in 1997 to inspire, generate and incubate work through the sharing of ideas and experiences. Each year, collective thinking arrives at a conceptual theme for this show, and the artists forensically examine and respond to the subject in their individual ways. This year’s choice ‘The Space Between’ will be no exception.

Painting in oils, Sue England explores the separation, reflection and illusion created by windows; Ceramics artist Maureen Brigden’s intriguing sculptures consider how division creates misunderstanding and confusion; Also working in clay, Liz Hanan presents bookends and books that sit between them, each with their unique story, and oversized keys that symbolize home and security; Sculptor Helen Solly reflects on physical and emotional space between people when creating figurative sculptures in metal; Jackie Knee’s charcoal drawings express imagined spaces, suggesting a sense of dwelling, connection and belonging. Linda Nevill, mixed media artist, shows colourful dreamscapes that describe the space between waking and sleeping; Martin Smith’s abstract oil paintings demonstrate space between colour, wavelength and tonal values; Deborah Richards observed the silvery Solent from many viewpoints, and her monotypes depict this ever-changing watery space between mainland and the Isle of Wight; The intensely stitched pieces made by Carol Naylor are inspired by the spaces between sky, land and clouds; Bosham harbour is the inspiration for Isabel Dodson’s seascape collages, which explore the relationship between the manmade and nature; Working in watercolour, Bridget Woods hopes to promote an awareness of interconnecting energy fields; Deborah Mitchelson reflects on her emotions when walking in the landscape, and challenges the viewer’s spatial awareness by encouraging the consideration of the space between her painting and ceramic work; abstract painter Lorraine Molins shows a very large triptych directly inspired by trees and the spaces between the branches; Tiffany Robinson presents burnished wooden panels depicting portals, challenging perception.

Artel would like visitors to spend time and consider their thought-provoking work. A member of the group will always be in attendance to discuss and answer questions. It will be a stimulating, worthwhile visit.

Oxmarket’s John Rank Gallery welcomes The New Embroidery Group for a 2 week exhibition showcasing stunning pieces of work carefully chosen for their exhibition.

The New Embroidery Group (NEG) has enjoyed over half a century with different generations of members, networking and exploring their craft in the arena of the art world.  The group was founded in 1968.  The first president was Constance Howard, a memorable character, artist, and teacher who transformed the status of embroidery and textile design.

The current NEG membership is diverse and comes from a wide area across the UK.  Common to all members is their love and appreciation of textile art.  To maintain a high standard of craftsmanship, all finished pieces for the exhibition go through a selection process.  Members are well versed in traditional and experimental techniques which are reflected in the individual work they each produce. 

A Gallery Community Project, ‘Stitching Together’, aims to create one collage hanging, celebrating the work of stewards and visitors.  Fabric, threads, needles, advice and books freely available.

More information about our group can be found at http://www.newembroiderygroup.com

Oxmarket’s Wilson Gallery welcomes Bristol-based Rossie Henderson-Begg who is a self-taught oceanic abstract artist with a background in drama and global missions work. Raised with a love for painting, singing, and performing, her artistic journey began early but became a central part of her life after a personal tragedy in 2018. Inspired by Parker J. Palmer’s ‘Let Your Life Speak’, Rossie committed fully to her art and embraced her affinity with the ocean. 

When Rossie lost a very close friend in a car accident in 2018, talking things through wasn’t helping her process her grief, and she felt compelled to paint. As she painted, it somehow touched a deeper part of her and she was able to start healing. Rossie believes the arts can be so redemptive and healing, and she want to bring that to as many people as possible.

Rossie has had many highlights of her art career so far, exhibiting at North Street Gallery in Bristol for a 3 month stint which turned into 6 months and while there breaking the record for the most expensive painting ever sold in that gallery!

Another highlight was becoming a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, which Rossie said was a huge encouragement to keep going and sharing her work more widely. 

Rossie’s work is deeply rooted in her lifelong connection to the ocean and the idea of flow—both physical and emotional. She uses intuitive pouring techniques, layering acrylic, inks, and natural elements such as sand to let each piece evolve like a tide or a current. This means no two pieces are ever the same; the process is about embracing unpredictability and letting the painting emerge and evolve as she work.

Rossie is hoping visitors and collectors notice not just the visual layers, but the feeling her paintings evoke—a sense of peace, quiet strength, and connection to something bigger than ourselves. She wants each piece to act as an anchor, bringing a moment of stillness into someone’s space and serving as a gentle reminder to pause and breathe.

Above all, Rossie is hoping people feel drawn into her work, like standing at the edge of the sea—grounded yet limitless.

Oxmarket are delighted to welcome Emsworth Printmakers for its fourth annual group exhibition at Oxmarket Contemporary in Chichester from 2-14 September 2025.  Celebrating the printmaking process in all its forms, from woodcuts to silkscreens, six of its members and two invited guests and friends will be displaying work they have been developing over the last year.

Emsworth Printmakers was formed during lockdown as a means of supporting one another’s artistic endeavours when unable to attend classes and open studio sessions. Many had previously met at the Omega Printmakers workshop in Portsmouth or as fellow Emsworth Arts Trail exhibitors.  Once studios opened again the group continued to unite and is now a proactive community of artists that meet regular to share their printmaking knowledge and to support each other on their creative and personal journeys.

During the exhibition, print enthusiasts can expect to see a mixture of screen printing, wood engraving, lino, collagraph, etching and monoprint techniques on show, mixed with some experimental approaches to printmaking.  All images and a selection of browser works and cards will be available for sale. Every piece is an original print and not a reproduction.

One of the groups printmakers will be in attendance during the entire exhibition and will be on hand to explain the printmaking processes used to create the images on display and elaborate on the different techniques employed in the wide field of printmaking.

The artists making up this fantastic exhibition this year are Anna Couldridge, Alan Davies, Sue England, Adam Howard, Fabiola Knowles, Jean Mallan, Carol Price and Bea Veness.

Oxmarket are delighted to welcome Steve Bicknell, sculptor and Steve Gallagher, fine art photographer to the Wilson Gallery for their exhibition ‘Natural Beauty’. The exhibition brings together the work from both artists and their response to the natural world and beauty around them.

Steve Bicknell started as a self-taught sculptor after a career as a photographer spanning four decades. He works predominately in ceramic and bronze sculpture, often working in a free nature, letting the clay suggest the final form.  He has exhibited in Spain, France and Italy with a selection of bronzes along with work in Surrey Sculpture Society shows, Doddington Hall and Beaulieu. His long-term project is working towards a solo show, “Return to the Earth” a body of work exploring the relationship between humanity and nature. Steve works in ceramic and bronze using no reference material, preferring to let the clay inspire him towards the final form. His work is of contemporary figures in a semi realistic abstract style. Self-taught, Steve has a strong recognisable tactile feel to his work.  

Steve Gallagher is a Sussex-based fine art photographer specialising in large format floral portraits and seascapes. He is known for his innovative approach to fine art photography and for his richly detailed and immersive images. He has a Fine Arts degree in Photography and Visual Design from the prestigious School of the Art Institute in Chicago. After a decade as a fashion photographer in New York and Miami, Steve then transitioned into a career in graphic design in the US and UK. Picking up his camera again during the Covid-19 lockdown, he was inspired by the natural beauty of his surroundings in coastal West Sussex, and has since exhibited successfully in London, Seattle, New York, Sussex and Surrey. His work has been purchased by collectors as far afield as the USA and Australia. Steve Gallagher’s floral artworks are intricate studies of colour, form, shape and texture. He is fascinated by the different stages of a flower’s lifecycle and how the aging process results in new levels of detail, contrast and intensity even as a bloom begins to fade. His most striking works are a series of 3D lenticulars, which showcase the unique luminosity, layering and intricacy of everyday flowers such as tulips, dahlias and peonies. He has also created unique works on glass, metal and cloth. Steve has been inspired by contemporary photography innovators such as Nick Knight and Irving Penn, but his work stands alone as a uniquely immersive and captivating experience for the viewer.

Time & Tide is a collective exhibition showcasing the work of award winning plein air artists, Paula Mitchell WGA, Patsy Moore ARSMA WGA and Mark Buck RSMA. Oxmarket are delighted to welcome all three artists to their John Rank and Wilson Galleries for a 2 week exhibition.

The artists find inspiration for their marine and landscape subjects by working directly in the environment.

Patsy Moore

Patsy Moore is an award winning artist; an associate member of the Royal Society of Marine Artists and a member of the Wapping Group of Artists. Painting en plein air and in the studio in oils and watercolours, she enjoys exploring light and atmosphere in interesting locations

Mark Buck RSMA
Mark Buck is an award winning watercolour artist, and member of the Royal Society of Marine Artists He paints in an energetic and loose style, mostly plein air.

Paula Mitchell WGA

Paula Mitchell is a multi-award winning artist with the Federation of British Artists and member of The Wapping Group of Artists. Her work as a plein air painter capturing the light and life in the environment entirely inspires her urban, landscape and coastal paintings.

JOHN WORLEY HUGILL

21/8/1920 - 27/12/2009

Oxmarket are delighted to announce a fundraising exhibition in the Wilson Gallery of the works of a local artist and supporter of the arts, the late John Hugill (1926-2008).

John and his wife, Patricia were great supporters of Oxmarket Contemporary and on her death earlier this year, Patricia bequeathed a collection of his paintings to be exhibited and sold in our gallery, with the proceeds donated to our charity. This exhibition is held to honour the work of a talented watercolourist and the memory of a beloved husband. To understand a little more of John’s life and works we asked one of his great friends and fellow artist David Buttons for his thoughts.

‘It was Pat , John’s wife, wish that there should be a celebration of John’s watercolours after her death. The Oxmarket Gallery had offered to create the exhibition which was a constant cause of pleasure and discussion when we met her over the years.

These watercolours in the exhibition represent the best of John’s work  carefully selected by Pat.

Rachel and I met John and Pat in the 1980s at the annual 3 Choirs Festival, both were musicians and this festival was one of their passions. When I retired in the late 1990s John was very supportive of my desire to turn the clock back and restart painting. He persuaded me, with little difficulty, to join him on a week’s painting course run by a member of the Wapping group, Paul Banning, in Wiltshire. Paul was an artist whom John enthusiastically followed and he had attended several  courses with him often in France. John has absorbed some of Paul’s techniques into his style.

John’s studio was at home and unlike most artists, and I speak from experience - his studio was tidy and well planned. There were the usual easels and a plan chest where he kept all his sketches , paintings and materials. He was a very studious and careful pencil sketcher, and often his drawings are works of art and can standalone.

Watercolour was his chosen medium and he had a great ability to produce very realistic landscapes , buildings and flowers with fabulous colours. One of John’s paintings of a red Lotus with technicians working on it is now on show in the museum at Goodwood.

Painting was as important to John as music but music and education was his career and paid the bills etc. John was a trained organist (ARCO) and was very involved in musical education in schools. At one time being director of music for Leicestershire schools.

In the late 1990s they moved to Chichester where both became very involved with Pallant House gallery and the local art and music scene. An ideal city in which to live! - David Buttons

AG Creatives is a group made up of artists and makers, several of whom have been working professionally in their chosen genre for decades, others who are returning to art after time out. For all of the artists, creating art is an urge that just can’t be ignored. Self-taught or formally educated art is what brought the group together, sharing what they create with the public to not only enable them to carry on creating by financing their lives, expressing their passions, but it also helps them to validate their work.

For AG Creatives the idea of exhibiting at Oxmarket was something that would be great to do, something that might give the group a new creative focus. The group run the Artisan Gallery in North Street in Chichester as a cooperative, each member displaying work there usually with no connection to the exhibition next to them. The idea of AG Creatives exhibiting together in a ‘loosely’ themed exhibition was a great challenge, giving many of the group the impetus to design something different.

In Echoes of Earth at Oxmarket there will be work from 21 of AG Creatives core artists and makers each inspired in their own way by the theme. Each piece of art in the exhibition has come about with influence, perhaps quite loosely, of echoes felt from the world. Echoes of Earth could be a call to attune the artists to what the Earth is telling them—through its patterns, silences, and a closer look at the materials gleaned from it. Urging them to listen to that emotion, whether it’s ancestral myths, symbolism or ecological.

On display in the exhibition will be work from four jewellers, Katherine Lawrie, Moira Cooper, Karen Saunders and Sylvia Tomkinson, glass artists Nancy Goodens and Heidi Robinson, ceramicists Mim McCann and Heather Muir, Sculptor Deborah Hochreutener, painters, Min Maude, Frans de Leij, Paula Chuter -Baker, Ellie Philpott, Teresa Poole and Bec Hopkins and artist and Lampshade Designer Marie Monro, Print makers Wendy Middleditch and Mark Maidment, Textile artists Jackie Lowe and Valerie McCallum, Surface Decorator Sarah MacLaughlin each interpreting the title in their own specialist genre or media.

Oxmarket are delighted to welcome Dennis Lewis to the Wilson Gallery for a 2 week exhibition. Dennis is a self taught watercolour artist who has lived and worked in France, Wales, Wiltshire and now residing in West Sussex. Dennis paints landscapes, mostly in the same format, there are also a few smaller paintings where he continues the image onto the frame. He loves landscapes and the differences in the light and what the seasons add to the view. Dennis has exhibited at the Royal Academy, the Mall Galleries in the Royal Watercolour Society shows, Painters in Watercolour and the Discerning Eye and was a regular exhibitor at the now defunct Sunday times Exhibition. This is his first solo exhibition.

Painting for Dennis is the thing he does where he feels in control and where he enjoys the creative experience even when the results are not to his liking, he never throws anything away but learns from his mistakes. Dennis says that ‘quite often the mistakes are what makes things interesting’. Dennis is influenced by every painting he has seen and largely from what he sees in nature which never ceases to amaze him.

Unearthed brings together a group of artists whose work explores the intricate relationships between humans and the natural world. Rooted in a deep engagement with ecology, materiality, and place, their practice reflects a sensitivity to the subtle traces left by time, landscape, and memory.

The artists include, painters, ceramicists, textiles, weaving and jewellery, aligning with the exhibition’s focus on the connections—visible and invisible—that bind us to the Earth. Their work often incorporates materials and techniques emphasizing sustainability and a reverence for the land.

Unearthed invites viewers to consider how art can trace, honor, and challenge the lines we draw between ourselves and the Earth, don’t miss this beautiful exhibition in our John Rank gallery.

Oxmarket are delighted to welcome a group of talented Surrey based artists who will be exhibiting in the John Rank Gallery. In my Mind’s Eye regularly exhibits at West Horsley Place in Surrey (aka Button House in the BBC series “GHOSTS”). Initiated by artist Liz Hauck the exhibition has grown from featuring her small collective “Wildwood Artists” to now encompassing over 30 artists, sculptors, ceramicists, original print makers and glass blowers. This non-profit initiative has been raising funds for various charities over the last 5 years including The Lightbox gallery in Woking. From July 8th -20th a small select number of these artists will be at Oxmarket. As the title suggests the emphasis is on contemporary original art - not to be missed.

Oxmarket’s Wilson Gallery will be hosting an exhibition for Brian Toms in July. After 25 years serving as a Gunner and then a Provost Petty Officer, Brian left the RoyaI Navy and worked for different Ad agencies both in the U.K. and Spain. Brian worked as illustrator for some years before taking a job with Gosport Council. 

Brian was originally from Cambridge and brought up in Northampton and his father always said he was born with a brush in his hand!

Brian has been painting most of his life and has portraits and pictures in many places, including Britain, America, Australia, Ireland, and Spain. He moved to Chichester about 15 years ago to be with his partner and had a studio in Runcton for some years, before moving into the old garage renamed The Shack. Brian has just turned 80 and still paints and he still enjoys it!

Say It With Flowers, is a striking and dynamic annual exhibition at Oxmarket Contemporary in Chichester. Featuring the work of over 100 artists and makers — including painters, ceramicists, jewellers, glassmakers, and crafters — each offering a unique interpretation of the floral theme.

This year’s exhibition also includes striking conservation exhibits, such as photographic studies of British butterflies by Pauline Richards, and selections from the ecological diaries of Noar Hill and the Hangars, written by former warden Bill Lowe, who at 87 has generously shared his extraordinary legacy.

Among the highlights of the show is the unique and witty work of Frank Jennings, whose box frame creations — Deceptive Receptacles — are a brilliant blend of craftsmanship, humour, and conceptual depth. His presence adds an unexpected and thought-provoking dimension to the exhibition.

Created from her lifelong love of flowers and botanical art, Sheryl has become the founder and curator of this exhibition. She is an accomplished botanical artist whose work captures the intricate beauty and quiet elegance of the natural world and is a Fellow of the Society of Botanical Artists (SBA) and Artist in Residence for the British Iris Society at RHS Wisley. Say It With Flowers will continue to grow under Sheryl’s curatorial guidance. The exhibition celebrates the power of flowers — and art — to inspire, uplift, and connect us all.

Oxmarket are delighted to welcome Chichester University Fine Art Department once again to Oxmarket for their graduation show. The exhibition is being kindly sponsored by The Arts Society. The group have largely known each other since 2022 when they started their Fine Art BA degree at the University of Chichester. They’ve each developed a unique and particular way of working in Painting & Drawing, Printmaking, Textiles and/or Sculpture that reflects 3 years of focused development. Each graduate has a clear material practice, an understanding of how Art can embody current ideas, and a professionalism that signals a way forward as artists making work that’s interesting and relevant.

These 9 artists have each developed a way of working that’s unusual and personal, and all have been heavily influenced by modern and contemporary artists in terms of technique, style and the ideas inherent in the work.   They have clear intentions in their work and have spent years refining their ability to communicate messages and feelings. These are often ambiguous, requiring the audience to negotiate their way into the work and fill in the gaps.

Each artist has a unique approach to Painting & Drawing, Printmaking, Textiles and/or Sculpture, one that reflects their artistic journey and personal biography. This exhibition will be in our Wilson Gallery for 2 weeks, not to be missed.

Chichester Art Society will be joining us at Oxmarket for their annual show in the John Rank and Wilson Gallery. Chichester Art Society was founded in 1939 and is at the heart of the community in Chichester and surrounding area.

Chichester Art Society says - ‘Artists of all abilities are very welcome to join the society. There are a wide range of activities organised throughout the year and new members are warmly welcomed.

Members benefit from all that is on offer including an opportunity to exhibit and sell at the Society annual exhibition at the prestigious Oxmarket Gallery situated in central Chichester.

Throughout the year we offer fortnightly demonstrations and talks by visiting professional artists. These are then often followed up by day long workshops with the artist. Here, you are encouraged to try out new ways of expression in your own artwork inspired and led by the artist. This can be stimulating, challenging, and ultimately satisfying as you explore new techniques and approaches to creating art.

 We also offer weekly drop-in sessions ‘Painting with Friends’. These are untutored sessions where you can create artwork using your own ideas in a friendly, encouraging and supportive environment.

There is also a programme of ‘Plein-air’ painting and drawing sessions available during the summer months. Here, we visit a wide variety of different venues locally to draw and paint outside.  This is an extremely rewarding experience as a group activity building confidence in creating artwork in a public place which can be daunting on one’s own!

 There is also a reference and borrowing library available at meetings consisting of a wide range of art books on various topics.

We warmly welcome all artists as members and visitors to our meetings. Pick up a leaflet and chat to members at the exhibition or check us out on Facebook, Instagram and our web-site’.

Oxmarket are delighted to display a collection of work by Elizabeth Jane Lloyd (1928-1995) in the Wilson Gallery. A colourist in the grand tradition of English colourists, her bold brushstrokes lay together to build dappled images in oils of luminous flowers against subtle ceramic and soft fabrics. She was a contemporary of Mary Fedden and Julian Trevelyan, and her vibrant still life and landscapes echo with the melodies of Cezanne and the post impressionists.

Lloyd’s talents sprung up from an artistic family and were later honed in the Chelsea School of Art and the Royal College of Art. Much of her life was spent teaching, both from her studio and in various institutions, including at Central St Martin’s, the Cambridge School of Art and a number of others. Alongside this, and raising her four children, she produced a body of work that marries a sophisticated mastery of colour with a sense play - breathing an expansive feeling of life into each painting.

Oxmarket are delighted to welcome Janine North to the John Rank Gallery for a 2 week exhibition. From an early age, Jan’s world has been shaped by creativity. With a natural talent for arts and crafts, she has spent over six decades exploring different mediums and techniques, finding joy and expression in each piece she creates.  

Her artistic journey has been one of continuous evolution. In 1999, she crafted her first Grandfather Clocks, gifting them to her granddaughters as both beautiful keepsakes and functional tools to help them learn to tell the time. Her charming, hand-sculpted toadstools, designed to withstand the summer months in the garden, reflect her playful creativity and attention to detail.   

In 2011, a visit to Western Australia proved to be a pivotal moment in her artistic development. Inspired by the intricate dot paintings and rich storytelling traditions of Indigenous Australian artists, Jan began respectfully incorporating “dreaming” imagery and henna-style patterns into her work, adding depth and cultural influence to her already diverse portfolio.   

However, it was in recent years that Jan’s art took on a deeply personal and transformative role. Following the deaths of her father, mother, and daughter, within the space of six years, and while recovering from a stroke in 2019 and learning to live with aphasia, Jan began using art as a means of escape and healing. During a sleepless night, she instinctively began painting with wild abandon, finding peace and emotional release in her creative expression. This moment marked the birth of her "Crazy" series, a powerful collection of 22 Neurographic Art pieces, with more still emerging.  

Neurographic Art, developed by Russian psychologist Pavel Piskarev in 2014, combines creativity with neuroscience. By drawing fluid, intuitive lines and shapes that mirror the brain's neural pathways, the technique activates neuroplasticity, allowing the mind to form new connections and promoting emotional healing. For Jan, this artistic style became a pathway to self-discovery and well-being.  

Her passion for supporting others led her to join SayAphasia, a charity close to her heart, that helps those with communication difficulties. After attending their support group in Chichester, Janine established her own peer-led SayAphasia group on Hayling Island in April. In support of the charity's mission, she has pledged to donate at least 10% of the proceeds from this exhibition to SayAphasia.  

Jan’s artistic exploration continues to evolve. Starting with acrylics, she has since embraced oils, inks, and watercolours, always eager to experiment and push creative boundaries. Through her art, she channels her emotions and experiences, finding both solace and joy in the process.  

Her motto, proudly displayed on one of her "Crazy" paintings, perfectly captures her spirit:  

"Never give up on the things that make you smile."  

Jan’s work is not only a testament to her talent but also an inspiring reminder of art’s power to heal, connect, and transform.

Oxmarket are excited to welcome back Daniel Freaker to the Wilson Gallery for a 2 week exhibition. Freaker taught art and design for many years at Chichester College and has since developed a large following on Instagram and exhibits internationally with his instantly recognisable palette and bold imagery. Freaker graduated from the Slade School of Art in 2000 and lives and works in Portsmouth.

Freaker’s work is full of opposites, bright and dark, fluid and firm, movement and stasis, real and abstract. He uses many techniques on the canvas and this creates a tension and a balance between abstract and figurative work.

The feeling this creates is almost cinematic in the sense of composition and aliveness. Like light flickering through film and stories told through a lens, the work feels like a story we may have all experienced.

What makes the work stand out is the sense of familiarity within the scenes, where the initial image tells us it’s a normal scene, yet the techniques and palette are so other worldly.  

Oxmarket are looking forward to an exhibition by Consuelo Simpson, Dawn Langley and Janet McWilliam who have come together to share their latest work and their experimental approach to their fine art practices. Each artist embraces investigational contemporary methods as they explore the human experience. 

Through an exploration of colour, line, texture, layering, geometry and repetition each artist produces works that push the boundaries and expectations of their chosen media.  The exhibition is multidisciplinary, incorporating works on paper, textile sculptures, book forms, paintings, photographs and prints.  Abstract 2D and 3D elements will sit alongside each other.  All three artists explore the notion of making as a dialogue between artists and materials.

The exhibition aims to highlight our shared life experiences, encouraging the viewer to pause and consider what might be a curious juxtaposition or an unusual viewpoint.

Consuelo Simpson is a forager and finder of orphaned objects.  Her practice honours lost histories of knowledge and craft as the artist reweaves the story of the networks that bind us together through time and place.

Dawn Langley’s practice uses different approaches to exploring the traces of our lives, her images are based on the notion of disruptive combinations in the form of unusual still lives and work that incorporates collaboration with machines.

In Janet McWilliam’s work, colour is applied in a way that could be said to echo processes used within a household during its lifetime, reminiscent of a repeated activity by those who have inhabited the space.  She shares the making with her materials.

The artists are all interested in the notion of creativity where the artworks draw in the viewer and evoke a physical response in a collaborative interaction. We would like our audience to spend time, to dwell and enjoy a process of slow and deep looking.  The works draw on shared contemporary themes but also evoke a sense of play and exploration, something we hope the viewers will share.

Oxmarket Contemporary are delighted to welcome back artist Samuel McGann to the Wilson Gallery for a 2 week exhibition. The paintings in this exhibition reflect Samuel’s love of music. It is said that art decorates space and music decorates time. Samuel painted most of these works after watching live music at Havana in Chichester, he has attempted to capture a sense of music in the paintings working from his own photographs and memories of the time spent in the venue.

"VIVID" is a ground-breaking exhibition that brings together the work of five contemporary artists, exploring the vivid depths of their individual creative expressions. Through a variety of mediums, these artists challenge conventional boundaries, creating visual experiences that are bold, dynamic and deeply personal.

Each of the featured artists has a unique approach to their craft, but all share a commitment to pushing the limits of their respective fields. Whether capturing the pulse of urban life, exploring the complexities of identity or delving into the interplay of colour and emotion, each piece within "Vivid" ignites conversation and reflection.

At its core, "VIVID" is an invitation to embrace the spectrum of the contemporary world. The exhibition’s diverse range of voices and perspectives offers an engaging exploration of what it means to live and create in a time where art reflects the complexities of our ever-evolving global society.

Together, these artists create an electrifying atmosphere that celebrates the power of individuality while honouring the connections between their shared commitment to creativity. "VIVID" is not just an exhibition—it is a vivid statement on the boundless possibilities of art in the modern age.

Artists

Sam Waters - Artist – ‘Abstract experimentation is at the heart of my process. My urban inspired paintings develop intuitively, building up textures that echo the history of industrial spaces. Using different tools to create layered textures and bold marks and sanding or scratching through surfaces to reveal what’s beneath. I balance grungy tones with touches of teal and gold for a pop of colour and depth’.

Notso – Artist – ‘The central theme in my work is the concept of the ‘Homo Stratum’ or the layers of man, and how their asynchronic nature creates challenges for our collective well-being as human souls. My style explores this by incorporating a wide juxtaposition of techniques, from traditional realism to modern abstraction, to better express the physical and the metaphysical layers of our human experience’. 

Barbara Whitbourn – Artist - ‘My work explores the intricate relationship between memory, identity, and individualism, based on exploration of personal history and collective consciousness and using mixed media and abstract figurative expressionism. My artistic process involves transparent layers of bold colour and collage with dynamic compositions, allowing intuition to develop the painting organically. By using visual language and expressive mark making, I aim to capture the transient nature of human experience and the complexity of individual identity, allowing the viewer to connect with my pieces and find their own narratives within them’.

Sue Colyer – Artist - ‘My work focuses on freedom of expression and emotional connections recalling intuitive and emotional response to a place rather than a realistic interpretation. Harnessing memories, feelings and nature itself are the key inspirations for my art. When a connection is made between the viewer and the image, the magic happens.  In particular, how they can be used to inspire and enable a freedom to create a piece of work that really resonates with others’.

Jan Griffiths – Ceramicist – ‘My primitive clay pieces are mostly made from reclaimed and found materials, fired using local organics such as seaweed, leaves and horsehair producing soft naturally coloured surfaces that are so tactile to touch.  Although these techniques are as old as the hills, I like to add a contemporary twist by incorporating modern mesh and wire or recycled glass as a vivid contrast to the gentle colours whilst aiming to keep the calmness I desire’. 

Discover the Artists of Chichester Open Studios Art Trail 2025. 
A ‘Snap-Shot’ Exhibition will be held from 15th to 27th April at Oxmarket Gallery, showcasing a selection of work from the artists. This exhibition provides an excellent opportunity to preview some of the pieces that will be featured in the Art Trail event in May.

Art lovers, collectors and the creatively curious are invited to explore the Chichester Open Studios Art Trail, returning for two inspiring weekends: May 17th–18th and May 24th–25th. Some venues will also be open on Bank Holiday Monday 26th May. 
This much-anticipated annual event this year showcases 147 talented artists across 112 venues, offering a rare opportunity to step inside their working studios, gain insight into their creative processes and purchase original works directly from the makers. 
From painting and printmaking to ceramics, sculpture, textiles, metalwork and beyond, the Art Trail celebrates a diverse range of artistic disciplines. Whether you’re drawn to contemporary abstraction, traditional landscapes or cutting-edge mixed media, you will find something to spark your imagination. 

A free printed Art Trail Guide is available to help visitors navigate the trail, and clear signage will be in place to direct you to each studio. Plan your route, meet the artists and experience the vibrant art scene of Chichester and its surrounding areas.
For full details, including an interactive map and artist previews,
visit chichesteropenstudios.org. Don’t miss this chance to engage with art in its most authentic setting—where creativity happens!

To mark the 950th anniversary of Chichester Cathedral, Oxmarket Contemporary is hosting a special exhibition that brings together a stunning collection of works inspired by the Cathedral’s rich history, architecture and spiritual significance.

Cathedral on Canvas runs from Tuesday 1st – Sunday 13th April 2025, showcasing a diverse range of artistic interpretations of the Cathedral, with all pieces available to purchase.

From paintings and photography to ceramics, textiles and jewellery, Cathedral on Canvas unites local artists and makers in an expressive tribute to one of Chichester’s most ancient and treasured landmarks.

Among the talented contributors are painters Rosemary Pocock, Fiona Bell Currie, Sue England, Steve (O’Mally) Wiltshire, Anne Graham, Carol Lee, David Sawyer, and Frans de Leij; printmakers Allan Davies (etching) and Bridget Osgood; photographer Jakub Bors; ceramicist Jane Eastell; jeweller Gael Emmett; textile artists Polly Meynell and Nicola Hancock; and metal artist Helen Solly, who will exhibit a piece crafted from the Cathedral’s former green copper roof.

Jam Café in South Street will also be getting involved with their Children’s Craft Club. Led by artist Maddie Conrad, children will take inspiration from the Cathedral to design their own stained-glass windows, which will be on display at the gallery throughout the exhibition.

Martin Bell, a Trustee of Oxmarket Contemporary, comments on the significance of the event: “Oxmarket Contemporary has always been a home for both emerging and established local artists and we are proud to host this exhibition in honour of Chichester Cathedral’s 950th anniversary. The Cathedral has been a muse for generations of creatives and this exhibition showcases the depth of talent in our region. It is particularly meaningful that the event is self-funded, allowing us to bring together a diverse range of artists and celebrate this important milestone. We warmly welcome visitors and locals alike to view these exceptional works - and perhaps even take home a piece of art that connects them to this iconic building.”

The Very Reverend Dr Edward Dowler, Dean of Chichester, expresses his delight at the exhibition: “Chichester Cathedral has long been a place of inspiration for artists, and we are thrilled to see its beauty and heritage reflected in such an extraordinary collection. Chichester is a hub of creativity, and it is wonderful that our ancient building continues to captivate and engage the artistic community. We are truly grateful to Oxmarket Contemporary for celebrating the Cathedral’s 950th anniversary in this way and look forward to seeing the showcase of works.”

Oxmarket are delighted to welcome ArtCollect 25 to the Wilson Gallery. ArtCollect25 are a group of five artists all alumni of the Fine Art Department at Chichester University.  They currently live in Hampshire and the West Sussex border area. To focus on their work after Covid in 2022 the group met up and started work on a collaborative project on maps using their specialisms in sculpture, textiles, print and paint. Maps are visually appealing and have different meanings according to personal experience.  This project developed into using their locality and places where they had previously lived to explore their environment. They have all taken steps on their creative journey and now together present the ‘Voyage’ Exhibition.

Chichester and areas along the South Coast have contributed to a wide range of artistic expression including sculpture, paint and printmaking. Individual artists in the group have exhibited widely from local venues in Chichester, Gosport, Southampton, Portsmouth and London to as far afield as Japan.

‘Voyage’ is an expression of the artists’ personal journey. Visitors to the exhibition are invited to spot local landmarks as they travel around the gallery. All artworks will be available for purchase.

Julie Cleverly works with a variety of mediums including jesmonite and plaster to produce unique sculptures based on lived experiences and historical references. Her work is a n invitation to the viewer to reflect on women’s voyages through life and the expectations society imposes upon them.

Linda Davies is a sculptor in plastic and an occasional painter. She wishes viewers to recognise from her work the destructive significance of waste plastic especially in the sea and to take away a memorable image.

Ann Savage works with paint, print and mixed media and in the ‘Voyage’ Exhibition explores journeys through a combination of abstract images and found fragments. Her unique pieces range from a selection of cards to a large scale mixed media piece of work on canvas.

Janet Woodward uses print, paint and mixed media. Inspired by the lines and symbols of old maps of places lived in and plans from our industrial past she extends, layers and alters the original, emphasising the formal and informal aspects of map form that allow us all to ‘read’  these documents.

Jillian Harvey works in print. Her water based screen prints are a reflection of her artistic journey, influenced by her travels, especially in the Far East where white paper, and the white space play an important role in her compositions.  The body of work for “Voyage” is based on the coastline around the South East and uses her imagination and memory.   

Oxmarket are delighted to welcome a group of artists exhibiting under the title Resonance - Marks of Memory, Person and Place. The exhibition brings together fellow artists whose work, though in different mediums, shares the same resonance and qualities. By looking to the landscape they explore themes of memory, place, people and the marks and traces remaining, both human and those carved by nature.

Each exhibiting artist explores the themes of the exhibition through their specialist craft.

Kathryn Green is a textile artist specialising in print and dye techniques which she utilises to explore her feelings and connection to landscape, the memories and traces that reside there and found objects.

Samantha English is a metalworker, working with both precious and non-precious metals to create vessels, landscapes, and sculptures imbuing her work with marks and colour to evoke memory.

Frances Marr is a ceramicist and printmaker drawn to found objects - the colours, textures and forms, but also the awareness of time, change and decay, and the continuing life of materials that may have fallen out of human use. 

Anne Hayward is a wood engraver and artist. At the heart of her work lies a practice of closely observed drawing. Through cutting into lino or intricate incising into dense fruitwoods, she translates everyday scenes into a vocabulary of fluent mark-making.

Richard Hayward is a sculptor who pulls the focus of the Arts and Crafts movement into the 21st Century. With its clean proportions, sweeping curves and rhythmical planes, Richard uses subject matter drawn from nature and the human form.

Mark making is the common thread through all their work, each mark created from the tools and techniques of the individual artist, developed and honed through many years of experience.

The materials used by each artist respond in different ways to the techniques employed. Materials derive from the land, each maker crafting resonance and making marks in wood, metal, clay, textiles and paper, using their knowledge to shape, form, dye, print, paint, fire and sculpt.   

All the work is connected by the elemental, nature, texture, surface, people and place. To the contrasts and shifts within the landscape. The traces of both human and environmental change are found through the marks that reside in the surfaces, people and landscapes they admire. 

Curated by Vivienne Roberts and Jennifer Gilbert, this is an exhibition celebrating the life and work of british artist Julia Oak, featuring drawings, scrolls, sketchbooks and textile works. Julia sadly passed away on 30 January 2025 after a strong battle with cancer, but was aware of the exhibition, being very involved in its planning, and very much wanted it to be a joyful celebration.

Julia had been creating since 2004, and was a psychic artist using the medium of drawing to commune with the spirit world. She rarely planned her drawings over choosing the paper and colours she used for her mark making. Sometimes there was a focus, something she wanted to meditate upon; but after that her pen was a dowsing rod, discovering what the page was willing to share. As Julia found herself in that liminal space between life and death, she wanted to create more than anything else, continuing right until the end.

She was an active member of the Community Programme at Pallant House Gallery for 11 years, a brilliant Community Programme Ambassador,  and member of the Gallery's Public Programmes Advisory Group. 

We look forward to showing you Julia's personal world and everything that she wanted to share. Several works will be available for sale during the exhibition.

Artists have to traverse the flow of many ideas to find a way forward in their practice. The title of ‘Stepping Stones’ for Octagon’s latest exhibition at The Oxmarket gallery expresses this creative journey, and visitors will enjoy exciting new work produced by eight artists, each engaged in differing processes including painting, drawing, printmaking, stitching and markmaking.

Carolyn Mackwood has been inspired by the early works of Matisse, and by the designs of oriental textiles and carpets, in her depiction of beloved objects from home. She paints in oils, with focus on colour and composition.

Jennifer Smith has an interest in Inuit art, its simplicity and clarity, and she expresses her responses to this culture through depictions of birds and animals in oils and acrylics.

Sue England, painter and printmaker, past finalist of Sky Arts ‘Landscape Artist of The Year’, and artist-in-residence at Denmans Garden, Fontwell in 2023, will be showing works derived from photographs old and new, showing moments in ordinary lives.

Maggie Bacon will be exhibiting figurative portraits in oils – a successful departure from her recent practice of creating 3D models.

Linda Nevill, mixed media artist, shows a selection of her ‘deep dreamscapes’, made through the layering of inks, acrylics, gouache, pens, and stitching on paper.

Bea Veness produces semi-abstract prints using screenprint and linocut. Inspired by mid-century modernist printmakers, her work is handprinted on archival paper in small limited editions.

Sam McCormack has collaborated with nature by exposing her markmaking on paper to the elements in her garden, intervening at intervals during the magical process. She employed a variety of media.

Amy Tattersall is currently exploring transitions, through the versatility and sculptural quality of charcoal on paper, taking inspiration from the works of Frank Auerbach.

‘Stepping Stones’ will be a forward-looking, lively exhibition that will engage viewers in each artist’s path of exploration.