Luke Andrew Cary Elwes (/ˈɛlwɪs/; born 26 July 1961) is a British contemporary artist whose paintings capture his encounters with the landscape and with the elements. He gained prominence in the early nineties when he returned from his travels in India, Asia and North Africa with a series of key paintings.[1]
Biography
Elwes was born in London, where he now works and lives with his wife, Anneke (daughter of Hans du Moulin, of Farnham, Surrey),[2] and their two children
Jake Elwes and Toby Elwes. He is the eldest of three sons of Peter John Gervase Elwes (1929–2017),[3] an executive in oil and gas companies and banking from a landed gentry family,[4] and Rosalie Ann, daughter of the Army officer
James Hennessy.[5][4] His grandfather was the painter
Simon Elwes RA and he is a first cousin of the actor
Cary Elwes.[4] His early years were spent in
Teheran, Persia, where the light and space of the desert were a formative influence.[6]
While working at
Christie's, he began to travel and write, and after meeting
Bruce Chatwin in 1987 he went to the central
Australian desert to explore the landscape and its use in
indigenous storytelling and artforms.
Since then he has continued to travel extensively, discovering and revisiting remote locations in India,
Asia Minor and North Africa. In 1998 he was artist in residence on an expedition to
Mount Kailash, a holy mountain in western
Tibet.[8][6]
His work has also been inspired by the landscapes of
Osea Island where he rented a cottage with his family for many years.[9] Since 2007 he has worked in the former studio of
Nigel Henderson[10] in
Landermere on the Essex marshes.[11] In 2015 he was artist in residence at the Albers Foundation.[12][13]
Since his first exhibition in 1990 he has had over twenty five one man shows in London, Paris and New York City.[14][1] He also writes about contemporary painting for journals including
Modern Painters (magazine), Galleries and the
Royal Academy magazine.[7]
Exhibitions
Solo exhibitions
Contellation, Frestonian Gallery, London (2024)
Landermere, Frestonian Gallery, London (2021)
Passage, Frestonian Gallery, London (2019)
Floating world, Adam Gallery, London & Bath (2017)
Floating world, National Trust, Flatford, Suffolk (2016)
Albers Foundation, Broadbent Gallery, London (2015)
Reflection, Campden Gallery (UK) (2015)
Water Diaries, The Minories, Colchester (UK) (2014)
Writing on water, Adam Gallery, London & Bath (2014)
Luke Elwes: 10 Year survey, Young Gallery, Salisbury (2013)
Constellation, Adam Gallery, London & Bath (2012)
Celestial Confetti, North House Gallery, Essex (2012)
Silent Kingdom, Adam Gallery, London & Bath (2011)
Secret Water, Broadbent Gallery, London (2009)
Peintures Recente, Galerie Marceau Bastille, Paris (2009)
Refugia, Art First, London (2007)
Flowing Ground, Broadbent Gallery, London (2005)
Compass, Art First, London (2004)
Recent Paintings, Art First, New York (2002)
The Osea Paintings, Art First, London (2002)
Peintures, Galerie Vieille du Temple, Paris (2001)
Sanctuary, Art First, London (2000)
Pilgrim, Art First, London (1998)
Island, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London (1995)
Peintures, Galerie Vieille du Temple, Paris (1993)
Storyline, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London (1993)
Landcross, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London (1991)
Bungle Bungle, Rebecca Hossack Gallery, London (1990)
Selected group shows
Vision + The Visionary, Kookmin University Gallery, Seoul, South Korea (including
Bridget Riley, Sammy Lee &
Vakki) (2022)[15]
The Green Fuse, Frestonian Gallery, London (including
Adrian Berg, Tim Braden &
Bridget Riley) (2020)
Natural Beauty, North House Gallery, Essex UK (2020)
Landscape of Memory, Galleria Ceribelli, Italy (2019)
Genius loci, Luke Elwes (2008), Ediz. italiana e inglese, Editore Lubrina-LEB (collana Arte moderna e contemporanea)
Roger Hilton: Swinging Out into the Void by Andrew Lambirth (Author), Luke Elwes (Author), Anett Hauswald (Author),Kettle's Yard Gallery (August 2, 2008),
ISBN1-904561-29-2
Luke Elwes at Art First, The (London) Independent, Sep 21, 2004 by
Sue Hubbard
Luke Elwes, Sanctuary, by Nicholas Usherwood, Art First Contemporary Art (2000),
ISBN1-901993-17-5
Pilgrim, by Andrew Lambirth, Art First (February 1998),
ISBN1-901993-03-5