Norwich artist Anthea Eames is launching Wymondham Arts Centre’s 2014 season with a solo exhibition of abstract work inspired by the African, Australian and Norfolk landscape. The show runs at Becket’s Chapel from Friday, March 21 to Sunday, April 13 and is open daily, Monday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm and Sunday, 12noon to 5pm, free entry, www.wymondhamarts.com.

Anthea’s paintings stem from her continuing relationship with the African, Australian and Norfolk landscape. She has lived in Norfolk for 30 years, but before that worked in Zambia and Nigeria as a teacher and illustrator. Her discovery of Australia is more recent and began when her son emigrated in 2007. A new 10ft x 4ft triptych called Australian Goldrush will be completed for the Wymondham show.

Anthea’s connection with Africa has been renewed over the last two years by leading women’s art workshops at the Chongoni UNESCO World Heritage Site, Dedza, Malawi, part of the Norwich Dedza project www.norwich-dedza.org. She returns in May and June this year, training women to design greetings cards drawing inspiration from Chongoni’s Stone Age rock art. Video of her work in Malawi will be included in the Wymondham exhibition.

Anthea Eames explained: “I’m really interested in the history of landscape – how human activity has transformed it through time. I do not try to record the subject, but rely on my memory and intuition and imagine that I am looking down on the landscape when I work. I love Norfolk; it’s a wild and beautiful county with gentle colours set under a vast sky, a wonderful contrast to Australia with its intense reds and glowing oranges and deep blue sea.”

“I create multi-layered textured surfaces using the earth itself, gathering red and yellow ochres, sand, chalk and shingle from places that have a particular resonance for me, like Winterton beach in Norfolk or the Chongoni area in Malawi. The process involves grinding and mixing these materials with resins to create my own paints.”

For more information about Anthea Eames’ work, see www.antheaeamesart.com.

Wymondham Arts Centre Director, Arthur Lucas said: “We are privileged to present a solo show by Anthea Eames, as this season’s opening exhibition. It is very exciting for us to exhibit work inspired by three continents, created by one artist. Anthea’s paintings are both literally and figuratively multi-layered, with her richly textured surfaces and deserve close attention. “

Wymondham Arts Centre is at Becket’s Chapel, Church Street, Wymondham NR18 0PH www.wymondhamarts.com, email [email protected].