Ned's early experiences of parental loss heavily influenced his artwork, leading to a darker aesthetic centered on grief. Over time, his perspective has transformed, shifting towards embracing joy and beauty amidst life's fragility. His latest exhibition, 'Something Bigger Than You' at Blue Shop Gallery, captures this evolution by exploring themes like the ephemeral nature of existence through imagery of moths and flowers. He connects personal loss to vast cosmic events, underscoring the enduring essence of love in the face of mortality.
For much of my life, I experienced a deep grief that has felt like an ever-present shadow and this was a dominant theme in my past work.
As you grow older, you realise how strange it is to feel such an absence for someone you really can't remember, but also love so much and forever.
It's a strange phenomenon losing someone you love very much when you are very small and with a barely functioning memory.
I tend to flit around thematically and materially, but for this exhibition, I think I realised whilst the theme can be explored through a variety of imagery, the material would need to be reasonably consistent.
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