Luke Elwes

Luke Elwes conjures landscapes not as places on a map, but as living memories—fragile, sacred terrains where time, belief, and erosion leave their quiet marks in shimmering layers of light and loss.

For the past two decades, Elwes has alternated his time in the studio with extended periods spent making works on paper out on location. His abstract paintings explore the relationship between memory, place, and perception. Elwes draws inspiration from his travels and experiences of the natural world, and his work often evokes a sense of transience and impermanence.

His work centres on a fragile wilderness of salt flats and tidal marshland in Essex, capturing the permeable space and ever-shifting line between water, earth, and sky throughout the year. Each image is begun and completed in one sitting, regardless of the weather, and refers to both the immediacy of this encounter and the recollection of past experiences. Together, they form a living record that reflects on the fluid interaction of pigment, water, and ground while employing the elements – rain, silt, and river water – as both medium and material in their making.

Elwes’ paintings are characterized by his use of colour and texture, which he applies in layers to create a sense of depth and movement. He primarily works in oil, acrylic, and watercolour, and his paintings often incorporate gestural marks and drips, conveying a sense of spontaneity and improvisation.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS:

EDUCATION:

Camberwell school of Art (UAL) | undergraduate and research degrees from Bristol University and Birkbeck, University of London

Luke Elwes lives and works in London, UK.

“My aim likewise is to be as receptive to the surface of the visual field I'm moving across as what lies unseen beneath it..”

Interview: