"Painting becomes meditative, slowing down our fast paced world. Through mindful observation, the everyday is seen in a new light".
Will Calver is a graduate of Falmouth University (BFA). A painter based in Kent and Cornwall, his practice involves the techniques of classical figuration with a looser, freer hand. Will Calver works from direct observation and drawings to create paintings from life using the 'alla prima' technique. This involves the artist spending time in the immediate presence of his subject to discover and reveal its true individuality.
Will Calver's still life paintings are at once intimate yet spacious, simple yet monumental. Through direct observation and a desire to capture the essence of his subjects, he creates works of purity depicting the fundamental beauty and power of everyday objects. Whether the subject is a quince, a stone or a coffee cup, the focus is on the profundity of simple things. Through the intimacy of spending time exploring the subject and studying the relationships between light, forms and colour, Calver seeks to distill their harmony in paint, in a language that expresses their universality. The result is a body of work that conveys a sense of stillness and subtle presence.
Will Calver lives in the Kentish countryside and works from a studio in an outbuilding of an 18th century farmhouse, surroundings that provide ample subject matter and inspiration for his paintings. From his studio set among fruit trees and farmland, he is able to bear witness to the slow turning of the year. This helps to create a sense of naturalism in his work, complemented by the traditional oil paints and linen canvas he uses.
Will Calver has exhibited across the UK, including at the Turner Contemporary Gallery, Margate and the Mall Galleries, London. He exhibits regularly in London and Cornwall and has work in private collections internationally.
Selected Recent Exhibitions:
'New Light' at the WSJ Gallery, London, 2021
'Summer Collection', New Craftsman Gallery, St Ives, Cornwall, 2021
'Anna Calleja & Will Calver at Porthmeor Studios', St. Ives, Cornwall, 2021
'One: Paintings of Single Objects', 155A Gallery, East Dulwich, London, 2021
'Best Small Portrait' Award: Royal Society of Portrait Painters, Mall Galleries, London, 2021
'Royal Society of Portrait Painters (RP) Annual Exhibition', Mall Galleries, London, 2021
'No.1' (Opening Exhibition), Morgans, Falmouth, Cornwall, 2021
Ffern collaboration, painting for 'Winter 21' Fragrance, 2020-2021
'A Christmas Wish' at New Craftsman Gallery, St Ives, Cornwall, 2020-2021
'Shaping the Future', New Craftsman Gallery, St Ives, Cornwall, 2020
'Launch Exhibition' (group show), Morgans, Falmouth, Cornwall, 2020
'A Christmas Gift' (group show), New Craftsman Gallery, St Ives, Cornwall, 2019
'8x2': Eight artists, Two days (group show), Tin Tabernacle, Hythe, Kent, 2019
'An Exhibition: Anna Calleja & Will Calver at Porthmeor Studios', St. Ives, Cornwall, 2019
Krijn De Kooning Collaboration Project, Wellington Terrace, Falmouth, Cornwall, 2019