Wimbledon Fine Art will open its doors to celebrate the work of Andrew Hewkin this weekend.
The Wimbledon artist, who is in his 60s, has been painting worldwide professionally for more than 40 years, producing pieces in 57 countries.
His latest exhibition will feature work based on his time in the south of France, Australia and Mallorca, as well as the island of Mustique, where he lived and worked for three years.
The exhibition opens on Sunday, October 9, where invited guests can peruse the paintings at a champagne reception between 12pm and 3:30pm, with the opportunity to meet Mr Hewkin and explore the tangible recreations of his travels.
Visitors will be taken on a journey of intense, striking colour through the 25 paintings on display, as he presents a style that portrays a ‘constant fascination with light and colour to capture moods and feelings often missed in contemporary art.’
Mr Hewkin has had work commissioned by the BBC, Vogue, British Airways and Playboy, while the late Bob Monkhouse once described him as ‘fearless’ and ‘the most exciting artist working out of the UK’.
It will be his second appearance at Wimbledon Fine Art following a successful exhibition in April and May last year.
The artist remains close friends with the owner, Andrew Stoppani, who he met in the mid-90s in Chelsea Harbour, where Mr Hewkin had his own studio.
Mr Stoppani, 65, said that after Mr Hewkin moved to Wimbledon, working together ‘seemed like the natural thing to do.’
The father-of-three, who lives in Balcombe, Sussex, used to deal in precious metals before switching to art and is looking forward to the upcoming exhibition.
“I love to put on events, I’ve been doing it for years,” he said.
“You can’t please all of the people all of the time, but I hope to please some of the people for some of the time.
“I’ve always had a strong interest in art. I’m more of an admirer than a creative – the four walls of this gallery are about the only thing I’ve ever painted myself.”
Mr Stoppani is a long-term enthusiast of Fauvism, a movement which highlights strong colours and painterly qualities, which he feels Mr Hewkin’s work is reminiscient of, although not necessarily influenced by.
The intense visual aspect and context behind Mr Hewkin’s work is of massive interest and is a popular style with visitors to the gallery.
“Clients love bright, vibrant colours,” Mr Stoppani said.
“Put it this way – I don’t sell many black paintings. The exhibition will certainly hit a note with those who love to travel and I think it will be a big success.”
The experienced gallery owner will be hoping visitors will be interested in buying the paintings on offer, although they aren’t likely to be his most lucrative sales, with his most expensive painting to date fetching a healthy sum of more than £35,000.
The paintings on offer range in price from £1,700 to £18,500 and the exhibition will be open for the public to enjoy for a further two weeks following Sunday’s opening.
