Zoë Ashbrook is a British artist whose work is grounded in experience of landscape and observations of time, memory and the more-than-human within

the natural world. Her contemporary landscape paintings capture her sensory impressions of place; exploring ephemeral, textural and atmospheric

observations. From vast vistas to transient fleeting moments, light and space is seen in dialogue with palimpsest signs of entwined histories and ‘forever’

time embedded within the temporality of the landscape. Sensory experience informs our memories, shaping our understanding and relationship to self,

others, environments we inhabit and the wider world.


“As I walk, I become increasingly absorbed in the sensory qualities of atmosphere, light and textures of the landscape around me. Through mindful

gathering of found objects and plant materials, sensory sketchbook drawing, video and photography I document small moments of time creating my sense

of ‘being in’ place that informs my studio practice”


In the studio Zoë’s intuitive approach provides a meditative space to reflect upon her observations. Paintings evolve with a visual language evocative of the

passage of time. Through a process of repetition and layering, addition and subtraction play an equally significant role in the search for balance between

abstraction and the representational. Notions of time, memory and landscape explored are both conceptual and tangible. Zoë’s process rewards the viewer

with a rich tapestry of deeply layered, often luminous spaces, obscuring and highlighting a nuance of mark making within subtle, graduating shifts of

colour.

Some paintings appear to capture the essence of a particular place; others reveal glimpses into more personal moments of mindful observation. Aspiring to

evoke within the viewer a reason to pause, Zoë invites us to spend time with the work, allowing a slow and quiet recognition of the expressions of time and

memory embedded within the work and our everyday experiences of the landscapes we engage with.

A man with a beard is standing in front of two paintings