The Black Forest in South-West Germany is a dense forest filled with enchantment and legends. It served as inspiration for many of the Brothers Grimm’s stories and continues to inspire. This time, in the paintings of British artist Stephen Harrison, who worked as a schoolteacher in Germany.
We may be in a gallery space in Acton, West London, but lose ourselves in Harrison’s paintings and we’re transported from rainy London to the verdant Black Forest. A hazy figure can be seen in the landscape; ballet dancers with a lit-up house in the background feel surreal, and what looks like a creature covered in blood heightens the intimidation factor.
There’s a reason fairy tales take place in forests, and Harrison is inviting you to get lost in the fantastical narratives that his works create. He’s experimenting with pastel, oil, and acrylic paints and draws inspiration from the works of David Blackburn, which we can see in how the layers bleed into one another. The works can also resemble Turner or Monet at their haziest, allowing the background image to be visible when we inspect them.
While there are many contemporary painters examining landscape painting in a looser style, think Peter Doig or Hurvin Anderson, what’s unique about Harrison’s work is the Surrealist elements and his deep connection to the Black Forest and its history of myth-making and enchantment. Magical realism is having a moment in contemporary art at the moment, and as Harrison’s work develops and brings in more references to the local myths and legends, I feel like his work would fit neatly into that zeitgeist.
Harrison spent his life as a teacher and came to art later in life, proving that art can find you at any stage in life, and it’s never too late to have a personal Renaissance. It’s clear from the work in this show that he’s building his unique style in voice in both how he paints and the stories he wants to tell through his works.
An early figurative work is shown as a contrast to his later works, and while there are stylistic similarities to his later works, it’s clear that his work is moving in a different direction. Though like all good painters finding their voice, he hasn’t written off potentially returning to the figurative as his style develops.
It’s always exciting to watch a painter refine their style, and it’s never clear whether we’re nearly there or if their work will take a radical turn and take us in a new direction. Just as Stephen Harrison’s paintings take us on a journey into the Black Forest, we’re also seeing his journey as an artist develop. Let’s see where both take us.
Stephen Harrison’s paintings were on display at W3 Gallery in Acton from 15-30 January 2026.
All images are copyrighted by the artist.
Great Job Tabish Khan & the Team @ Our Culture Source link for sharing this story.
