We are pleased to announce ‘Arcadia,’ an upcoming solo exhibition by Katie Allen at Cube Gallery. The show will run from November 5th to 21st at our Crawford Street gallery in London.
‘Arcadia’ features a series of idealised landscapes that depict harmonious spaces free from human interference. Drawing from the Renaissance revival of Arcadia - a symbol of untouched nature and poetic peace - Katie transforms her own experiences in nature into abstracted depictions. Through intricate patterns and ornamentation, she creates landscapes inspired by her beloved South Wales, where she grew up and currently resides.
In this latest series, Katie paints her signature layered acrylics onto aluminium and dibond panels. This contemporary medium adds a heightened sense of depth to each piece. Some works feature areas of negative space that reveal the silver aluminium beneath, while others utilise the metal's reflective qualities. By cutting back into the acrylic paint, Katie allows the base layer to shine through and reflect the surrounding light. These techniques create a dynamic, constantly evolving body of work that feels almost sculptural in its texture.
Inspired by the shifting colours and plant life of the seasons, Katie’s work strikes a delicate balance between representation and abstraction. She has exhibited widely across the UK, Europe, and the United States, and in 2006, she secured a significant commission for Morriston Hospital in Swansea, where her paintings remain on display in the outpatients building.
