Acclaimed international landscape artist Harry Brioche hopes those who view the spectacular paintings going on display in Gormley’s Gallery leave with a sense of having stepped into the wild.
Inspired by the dramatic beauty spot, Mourne Light is the creative’s first major show in the city and stems from his growing fascination with the raw and poetic nature of the landscapes of Ireland.
“This exhibition is firmly rooted in the Mourne Mountains – they have an ethereal quality, a sense of myth,” Harry said.
“I truly believe we have some of the world’s most beautiful and breathtaking landscapes right her on our doorstep.
“When I paint these landscapes, I’m not just painting hills and valleys, I’m trying to capture a fleeting moment in time.
“I simply hope to provide a brief moment of peace and happiness, to transport the viewer away from the fast pace and stress of our daily lives and the world around us to a place of natural beauty.”
The painter, who grew up in the Seychelles, is encouraging fans to come along and stand in front of his work to sense the drama of light breaking across the landscape and savour the stillness before a storm.
Selection of works by Harry Brioche showcasing the beauty of the Mournes to go on display in Belfast this weekend.
“If they leave with the memory of a mood, the feeling of being out in the wild, then I will feel I have succeeded,” Harry added.
“This body of work is my tribute to the essence of the place with its shifting skies, silent valleys and timeless grandeur.”
Harry is captivated by the Mourne Mountains which he says possess a unique and untamed beauty that is both humbling and uplifting.
The artist who is known for his evocative use of light blends realism with a dreamlike quality to to capture his deeply personal response to the vista.
The canvasses featured in the Mourne Light exhibition highlight the unmistakable and undulating shape of the mountains as light pools into the valleys below.
Harry’s hones his craft by standing outside for hours while watching light move across the land.
“A valley that looks sombre in shadow can, in a single break of sunlight, become luminous, almost holy,” he said.
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“Those fleeting moments are what I try to capture in paint.”
While he invests hours walking in the environment, sketchng, taking notes and photographs – the main work is done mostly from memory back in his studio.
“I often begin loosely, letting washes of colour suggest mood and weather. Rather than force the process, I let the paint and brush lead me on the journey,” he explained.
“From there, the landscape emerges almost intuitively. My aim is not to reproduce a view but to convey its spirit, the feeling of being there,” he says.
Mourne Light by Harry Brioche is at Gormleys Belfast from September 27 through to October 16.