SANDRA HIGGINS
presents an exhibition of works by
DAN LLYWELYN HALL
Vantage Point
Gallery Petit, Chelsea, London
21 March - 19 April
This unique exhibition will showcase landscape paintings by renowned Welsh artist Dan
Llywelyn Hall, accompanied by previously unseen studies for his recent portrait of Her
Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II. The show is in conjunction with the anticipated Cardiff
unveiling of the artist’s portrait of the Queen, commissioned by the Welsh Rugby Union.
..............
Dan Llywelyn Hall graduated from the University of Westminster in 2003 and in the same year was
awarded The Sunday Times Young Artist of the Year prize. Subsequently, he was shortlisted for
the BP Portrait Award in 2009 and since then has continued to attract collectors from a variety of
museums, public institutions, corporations as well as private individuals. Llywelyn Hall’s portraits of
First World War veterans Henry Allingham and Harry Patch were recently displayed at Windsor
Castle and are now a permanent feature in the Royal Collection. The Cardiff born artist also
currently has work on display at the National Gallery of Wales, the Imperial War Museum (London),
the House of Lords, BT’s corporate collection, Barclays’ corporate collection, the Museum of
Modern Art Wales and the Contemporary Art Society of Wales.
The Queen's Portrait
A portrait of Her Majesty the Queen commissioned by the Welsh Rugby Union has recently been
completed by Llewelyn Hall. Following a sitting with the Queen late last year at Windsor Castle, the
finished portrait is an imposing three-quarter study, painted on a 5ft by 4ft canvass in an
expressionist style. The image is literally larger than life and Llywelyn Hall says he was particularly
keen to reflect the humanity of his subject.
“To have been granted a sitting with Queen is an ambition fulfilled and it has been an enormous
privilege to be asked to create this work,” says Llywelyn Hall. “As anyone who has ever met Her
Majesty will know, it is simply awe inspiring to be in her presence and I wanted to relay that feeling
as well as showing the very human side to the Queen’s personality."
Haunting Landscapes
Dan Llywelyn Hall, Motif on Autumn Sky, 2007, oil on canvas, 76.5 x 61 cm. Courtesy of the artist
As well as exploring portraiture, Llewelyn Hall’s work displays his keen interest in landscape
painting. His approach towards landscape painting is a crossover between two great traditions:
boldly painted surfaces combine the Romantics’ attempt to embody human feeling and thought
with the Expressionists’ raw quality of a form, and sense of immediacy. Llywelyn Hall takes the
nostalgic vision of landscape painting and rejuvenates it with a free use of colour. In this way, he
creates a new and authentic genre, making a significant contribution to the recent revival of
landscape painting in Britain. His work owes much to the legacies of William Blake and Samuel
Palmer, along with the Neo- Romantics of the 1940s such as John Piper, Michael Ayrton and
Llywelyn Hall’s compatriot, David Jones. Agitated brushwork and simplified ornaments also expose
the formative influences of Chaim Soutine and Henri Matisse.
‘Landscape creates the theatre, the set, for much more crucial things. Landscape painting these
days has had such a bad press, a stigma – as a genre it’s mistreated by contemporary art. You
can’t really make it ironic, and that’s its drawback for contemporary art galleries...[to me] irony is for
people who haven’t got any backbone, who are afraid of putting their emotions into the work. I
think you’ve got to be very brave if you’re going to make something that is heartfelt and
meaningful, you’ve got to be prepared to put yourself on the line. That’s absolutely essential.’
Dan Llywelyn Hall in conversation with Andrew Lambirth, THE SPECTATOR
Mystical, spiritual and sublime in character, the beauty of Llywelyn Hall’s landscapes evokes in us
a sense of passing time and our own mortality. While the starting point for his images are concrete
locations, Llywelyn Hall confronts the viewer with worlds infused with his own personal response,
shaped by his feelings and moods. As the personal aspect is given a priority over an objective
depiction, the resulting imaginative scenes invite an inward contemplation on the viewer's part.
Lost in the winding paths leading towards the furthermost horizons, a recurring motif in Llywelyn
Hall’s work, the spectator is captivated within the haunting landscapes.
‘Dan Llywelyn Hall follows a tradition which first flourished amid the dreams of the Romantics. He
is part of that visionary lineage of painters for whom landscape became an embodiment of human
feeling [... yet] his paintings work to conjure a fresh, idiosyncratic and fundamentally modern
mood.’
Rachel Campbell-Johnston, THE TIMES
‘For Llywelyn Hall, certain places seem to have a talismanic quality, a genius loci or 'spirit of a
place'. Before making a painting he usually decides on a location, and then takes photographs.
After that he strips away what he calls ‘evidence’ to leave the raw essence of a form which he
explores through his intense, free use of colour.’
Sue Hubbard, THE INDEPENDENT
A collection of Llywelyn Hall’s landscape works will be on show, alongside several studies for his
recent portrait of the Queen, at Sandra Higgins’ Gallery Petit in Chelsea. The exhibition will run
from Thursday 21st March to Friday 19th April. The artist will also be giving a talk with his personal
reflections on painting the Queen.
For more information about the exhibition, artist’s talk, or to arrange a viewing by appoin
tment Sandra Higgins at sandra@sandrahiggins.com or info@discoverartnow.co.uk
Note to Editors
The exhibitions will be accompanied by a catalogue with essays by Rachel Campbell-Johnston
(Chief Art Critic at The Times), Andrew Lambirth (Art Critic for The Spectator) and Sue Hubbard
(Independent Art Critic, writes regularly for The Independent and The New Statesman).
Both exhibitions are curated by Sandra Higgins, an Independent Art Advisor and Curator, Owner of
the Gallery Petit and the Founder of Discover Art Now. To see Sandra’s full profile:
Discover Art Now
Discover Art Now is a programme of events, private receptions, studio visits and talks launched by
Sandra Higgins, an Independent Art Advisor and Curator with over 20 years' experience in the art
world. For further information: www.discoverartnow.co.uk
Fact Sheet
Exhibition Title -- Vantage Point
Exhibition Dates -- 21 March - 12 April
Location -- Gallery Petit, Chelsea, London; full address available upon request
Op ening hours -- By appointment only
Admission -- Free, please contact: sandra@sandrahiggins. com
For all enquiries, high resolution images and further information:
Sandra Higgins, Independent Art Advisor and Curator
E: sandra@sandrahiggins.com
M: 07721 741 107
W: www.sandrahiggins.com
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