Nick Grindrod: Variations on a Theme
Variations on a Theme marked Nick Grindrod's successful east Asian debut exhibition. Running from January 16th to February 16th, 2025, at Art Works Gallery in One Holland Village, Singapore, the exhibition was a highlight of Singapore Art Week.
The Artist and His Journey
Growing up in Sheffield, an industrial city undergoing significant transformation in the '80s and '90s, Nick Grindrod was immersed in a vibrant creative scene emerging from the declining steel industry. Though this influence was primarily through music from artists like The Human League and Cabernet Voltaire, it unconsciously shaped the artistic style he's known for today. Despite his formal training in figurative art, Grindrod's current work reflects the color theory and composition principles he learned in art college.
Art has always been Grindrod's purpose in life. After years spent in unfulfilling jobs, he returned to his practice in 2012 and has painted daily ever since.
Exhibition Origins
The concept for Variations on a Theme traced back to the 2020 lockdown. Confined to his home, Grindrod established a makeshift studio and focused on creating small-scale paintings. As restrictions eased, he felt compelled to explore possibilities in scale, pushing his designs further.
Drawing inspiration from series paintings like Monet's Haystacks, where the same subject is depicted in various lights and angles, Grindrod became fascinated with how compositions and colors adapt across different scales. Though color and form remain the fundamental elements of his practice, scale has become the boundary he's most interested in pushing.
The Weight of the World
A standout piece in the exhibition was "The Weight of the World," Grindrod's largest work to date at two by three meters. This ambitious painting represented an exciting challenge for the artist, who previously worked in smaller formats due to studio constraints. In this monumental piece, Grindrod focused on integrating his signature elements of composition, color, and form.
Variations on a Theme was on show at Art Works Gallery in One Holland Village, Singapore, the show ended February 16th, 2025,
