Chris Bushe RSW: Earth, Water, Fire and Air
An exhibition of new paintings, Chris Bushe brings together a body of work that reflects his ongoing fascination with the elemental forces that shape the landscapes he returns to again and again: Aberdeenshire, the Greek Islands and the Hebrides.
"In my forthcoming exhibition Earth, Water, Fire and Air, I've brought together a body of work that reflects my ongoing fascination with the elemental forces that shape the landscapes I return to again and again. The title itself draws on the classical idea-found across many ancient cultures, from Greek philosophy to other early systems of thought-that the world is composed of four fundamental elements.
That ancient way of understanding the world continues to inform my approach as a painter, offering a way to think about the physical and emotional qualities of a place through earth, water, fire and air. From the shifting tones of Aberdeenshire in autumn and winter to the intense light and colour of the Greek islands in summer, these paintings are rooted in direct experience-moments where atmosphere, memory and place seem to merge.
The paintings of the Hebrides continue this exploration, focusing on the changing relationship between land, sea and sky. These coastal environments are defined by movement-weather rolling in, light breaking through and receding, surfaces constantly in flux. In responding to these conditions, I've worked to balance observation with emotion, using colour, texture and gesture to convey a sense of energy and immediacy. Across the exhibition, I'm interested in how these ancient elemental ideas can still offer a way of understanding and experiencing contemporary landscapes-distilling fleeting encounters into something both grounded and timeless."
Chris Bushe RSW (b.1958) is a Scottish land and seascape painter. His evocative oil paintings of the Hebridean Isles, the Greek Islands and Aberdeenshire capture the mood and condition of the places that he is most drawn to.
Chris Bushe was born in Perthshire, grew up in Tornaveen, Aberdeenshire and studied Drawing and Painting at Gray's School of Art in Aberdeen from 1980 to 1984. He first attended the University of Edinburgh to read archaeology and ancient history prior to his Fine Art degree in Aberdeen and after graduation he worked for town planners and landscape architects in Edinburgh to support his family and cover his studio and material costs. Since becoming a full-time artist in 1996, Bushe has exhibited regularly in Edinburgh and London; his paintings in high demand. His works are held in public and private collections worldwide.
