Norfolk artist Ben Kendall opens his debut solo show today – the culmination of two years as a professional artist after rediscovering a love of art during the pandemic. Here, he explains how a severe bout with Covid-19 which saw him suffering from long Covid led him to reassess his life priorities
Ben Kendall, a Norfolk artist who rediscovered his love of painting during the Covid-19 lockdowns, opens his debut solo show in Norwich today (Tuesday July 2). Father-of-two Ben, 44, from Sprowston, has painted landscapes since a young age. But he was put off pursuing art as a career as he did not enjoy the formal structure of art at school – eventually scraping a grade D at GCSE art.
Since then, he occasionally dabbled with sketching but struggled to find time alongside a full-time job and bringing up two young children.
But he moved from hobbyist to professional artist during the COVID-19 pandemic. Following a severe bout with COVID-19 which saw him hospitalised and suffering from long Covid, he reassessed his life priorities. The slowing pace of life during the pandemic allowed him to devote more time to his passion, ultimately leading him to establish his own studio in Norwich two years ago.
He now exhibits in galleries across East Anglia, was shortlisted for the Sir John Hurt Art Prize in 2023 and is hosting his debut show at Anteros Art Foundation, located on Fye Bridge Street in Norwich, until July 18.
Ben, who still works as a TV producer alongside his art business, says: ‘At first, I started painting again to cope with a really difficult period in my life. Gradually I found myself developing a distinctive style which others seemed to enjoy.
‘I began by participating in small open call exhibitions alongside other artists. Since then, it has grown into a small business with a steady flow of sales.
‘Mainly it’s still a passion for me. I love the idea that people enjoy my work enough to display it in their home and it feels like a real privilege every time somebody makes that investment in my art.
‘I now have what I consider my best collection of work to date, mainly made up of coastal landscapes inspired by Norfolk and East Anglia. I’m really excited to bring my solo show to Norwich, charting my journey in art.”
Ben’s distinctive style is colourful and semi-abstract – he says this is the only way he knows how to paint. ‘I’m colour blind and have a limited attention span, so tend to work quickly and spontaneously with an eclectic palette choice,’ he said. ‘I don’t want my paintings look like the world as it is, instead I want the world to look like my paintings.
‘I try to capture landscapes as full of energy and as ever-changing entities rather than static locations. That seems to capture people’s imaginations in a way they can relate to.’
Ben Kendall’s solo show, The Way I See It, takes place from July 2 to July 18 at the Anteros Art Foundation, located on Fye Bridge Street in Norwich. An open view will be held on July 4 from 6pm to 8pm – anyone is welcome to attend. You can find out more about Ben and his work at benpaintslandscapes.com.
Featured images – supplied
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