£140.00
1 in stock
GERALD DAVIES
Gerald grew up in a small rural village in Staffordshire before moving to Sheffield to study Contemporary Fine Art at SHU. He has spent the last 10 years living between Sheffield and St Leonards, contrasting the landscapes of the Peak District and the Sussex coastline. Both landscapes, along with the stories and traditions of those environments, continue to shape his work.
His pieces explore British folklore, medieval imagery, coastal life and maritime traditions, drawing on influences like Heywood Summer, Hugo Winder-Lind and Quentin Blake. He’s interested in the way stories can become rooted into a place and how objects can carry a sense of history through their surface and texture. Alongside his partner and dog he has spent the last few years travelling around the UK in his campervan, exploring ancient sites and attending local folk festivals and traditions which continue to inspire his work.
Each piece he makes is unique. The process starts with choosing a vintage frame sourced from local antique dealers, charity shops, car boots and the occasional roadside fine. These reclaimed frames carry their own unique history and become an integral part of the final piece. He works primarily using sgraffito, scratching through layers, inspired by the scrimshaw carvings made by sailors on long voyages. Through etching and sanding, he removes and reintroduce detail, building worn and weathered surfaces with brush strokes, scratches, dust and imperfections, all preserving the process used to finish the work.
