16th April 2026

Internationally acclaimed American painter, Rick Stevens, inaugural solo exhibition in London, 'Interwoven Life'. About RICK STEVENS ARTIST STATEMENT 'INTERWOVEN LIFE' EXHIBITION: "My work grows out of the awareness that everything is connected. As in the John Muir quote, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe”. This is the essential idea in System Theory, and contained in eastern philosophy such as Taoism. I’m interested in evoking that sense of interconnectedness. Where the boundaries are fluid between inner and outer worlds, and there are living patterns that move through both. The Chinese word “Li” translates as a pattern of life that unfolds through all things. Not a rigid design but a living geometry, always shifting, always whole. When I paint I feel each mark, colour, or interruption as part of a larger rhythm of emergence and dissolution. Forms evolve from one another as in nature, where nothing is wasted and everything transforms. I think of the painting as a living system, one that breathes, balances, and reorganizes itself as it comes into being. My work goes from representational to abstract. This stylistic range provides me opportunity to approach it from a variety of angles. Having an abstract painter’s eye when I’m painting landscapes helps in maintaining a freedom from stifling rules, those that you learn and love to break. Keeping a landscape painter’s eye when painting abstract imagery informs me how to manipulate space and evoke nature’s moods. The references to natural phenomena come intuitively after decades of depicting the landscape. Shapes, colors, textures, and even how the paint is applied is driven by the desire to capture certain effects that I’ve witnessed over the years. Something specific such as how the fading light casts a hue over a scene can provide the sense of mystery that I yearn for. There is a Japanese word; “Komorebi” which describes the phenomenon of sunlight filtering through leaves and the patterns it creates as it falls on trees and surfaces. It is usually associated with tranquility, beauty, and a sense of harmony for the one experiencing it. I value such moments and consider them an investment in my general well being, as well as for my work". Read more Toggle Painting