Moments With Dad, Paintings and Drawings by Tom Evans, June 2024

Moments with Dad will be presented this June at the Chair, Hay-on-Wye, showcasing Tom Evans' most expansive collection to date. The exhibition delves into his enigmatic approach to portraiture, everyday life, and familial bonds.

This series of work is in one sense deeply personal, shaped by Tom’s experience of living with his father on Tom’s journey to become an artist, and his father’s acceptance of this path. On the other, the work invites the viewer to reflect on themes of nostalgia, memory, perception and rediscovery.

Tom's portraits capture essences of moments with his father, revealing a profound yet intangible connection. They evoke introspection and the poignant beauty found in shared moments and solitary reflections.

— Rosalie Clement Hennion

This information is available in Welsh on the artists website:

Mae fersiwn o'r datganiad i'r wasg ar gael yn Gymraeg ar wefan yr artistiaid. Dilynwch y ddolen hon a toggle i'r Gymraeg yn y brig ar y dde: https://www.tomwevans.com/blog

In ‘A Private Spy’ (2023), an ordinary beachside leisure scene takes on a whimsical allure with details like bright blue shoes, the long hair sticking out, the relaxed, unself-conscious recline beside green iron railings. The title is named after the book his father is reading, written by John Le Carré, who his father once met. This painting evokes a sense of fantastical immersion. Despite his outward sternness and age, the figure is engrossed in an inner world sparked by recollection and imagined adventures.

A Private Spy Final

‘The Card Player (V1)’ (2023) pays homage to modernist masters like Cezanne, its informal setting and arrangement of objects such as a coffee pot and clock echoing the iconic compositions. Red uno cards at the centre add a playful, decisively contemporary touch. The painting is affectionately known as ‘Papa Uno’.

Evans' mastery of colour is central to his work: cool blue tones imbue his father’s face with a stoic, monumental quality, removed from naturalistic representation. This chromatic choice is deftly counterbalanced by warm accents of yellow ochre in the upper right corner, harmonising with delicate shades of light green on the cupboards and a vibrant splash of light blue on the table at the lower left. ‘The Card Player (V1)’ exudes joy found in the everyday rituals of life but also a passing of time.

The Card Player (version 1) 80 x 60cm oil on canvas October 2023

‘Dad Again,’ (2023) captured in a moment of surprise, exudes raw realism. Tom’s brushwork vividly portrays the weathered face, expressive eyes, and tousled hair, imbuing the skin with texture and contrasting colours that convey a psychological depth and weight of experience.

Throughout Moments with Dad, Evans' exploration spans from oil paintings to vibrant pastels, offering viewers an intimate insight into his creative process. These artworks reveal a tender dialogue between artist and sitter, reflecting a deepening understanding between father and son on their intertwined journeys, inviting viewers to reflect on their own relationships and evolving dynamics.

Dad Again 80 x 60cm oil on canvas Nov 2023

Biography: Tom Evans (b.Barnet, 1978) obtained a BA in Painting from Chelsea College of Arts, graduating in 2000. After a hiatus focusing on more commercial areas of creativity, he returned to the UK from a time spent living and working abroad, in Madrid, Spain, to re- focus on establishing a fine art practice from his home base in rural Monmouthshire at the end of 2017. Tom spent 2022 studying with The Royal Drawing School on their inaugural Online Drawing Development Year, shortly thereafter gaining a place on the final Zabludowicz Masterclass in 2023. He then gained the support of the Arts Council of Wales through their Creative Steps programme as a neurodivergent artist, which allowed him to spend the last academic year completing the Turps Banana Correspondence Course. Tom has recently completed several residencies in Portugal and has also shown work in Wales, London and abroad. His work is included in several private collections. Tom will begin an MA at London's Royal College of Art in September 2024.

A Private View will take place on Thursday 27th 6-8.30pm. All welcome.

For further info please contact the artist on 07870 241876 / etomevans@gmail.com

A pdf of further available works is accessible upon request. www.tomwevans.com