Recall of the Wild - Mark Ward

Mark Ward’s paintings emerge from a profound and enduring love of animals encountered both near and far, drawing on wildlife observed in local landscapes as well as during his time living in Africa. From his Suffolk studio, Mark constructs intricate models from paper, string, clay and recycled materials, assembling imagined worlds that reflect the perfectly imperfect nature of life within a contemporary context.

These meticulously built environments are then carefully lit to heighten their theatricality, accentuating surface, texture and the inherent qualities of their constituent materials. The resulting acrylic paintings sustain a compelling tension between the handmade and the illusionistic, inviting close and sustained looking, and prompting a reconsideration of how these wild animals are perceived, staged and ultimately remembered.