OLIVER AKERS DOUGLAS - Paintings of Klosters and Beyond

We are delighted to announce Oliver Akers Douglas’ third major exhibition of alpine paintings. The show consists of some 40 new works featuring scenes from the Klosters-Davos region of Switzerland but also from the Jungfrau region near Grindelwald. The work revels in the transportive experience of being in the mountains, and includes a glittering array of scenes, painted both in summer and winter, and often executed on the spot – in either hiking or ski boots.

“I love the feeling of being alone in such colossal landscapes, and I like both the physical and mental challenge of making art in such uncompromising conditions. Nothing can ever prepare you for the visual assault of alpine scenery. It is always startling, always unpredictable. It totally upends all the usual notions of scale, composition and colour”.

The paintings feature peaks, rivers, lakes, ski areas, hiking routes, livestock and several glaciers. They burst with energy and excitement, and display the distinctive dynamism of his brushwork and colour palette. His handling of the complex subject of snow is particularly accomplished.

Best known as a painter of British landscape, Oliver has been working in the Swiss Alps for over 20 years. He is enthralled by the long and romantic tradition of British artists who have travelled there since the 18th century. While his technique is strikingly contemporary, this legacy nevertheless informs these works. His paintings are widely collected, and found in public, private, corporate and royal collections.