Welcoming Tessa Houghton's New Exhibition 'Land, Sea & Sky'

We’re delighted to welcome back international artist Tessa Houghton to Chirpy with her new exhibition ‘Land, Sea & Sky’

Tessa’s exhibition with run between Thursday 12th March and Saturday 28th March.

She’ll be at Chirpy for a ‘Meet the Artist’ on Saturday 14th March from 12pm. Come along to chat to Tessa to find out her inspiration for her new body of work and a free informal drinks reception - all welcome.

Tessa’s exhibition with run until Saturday 28th May.

Born in Lancashire in 1976, Tessa Houghton celebrates the beauty of natural landscapes, capturing the atmosphere and drama of the elements through expressive mark-making and layers of oil paint and texture. Her new collection explores the elemental spaces of land, water, and sky, evoking light, movement, and emotion.

 The paintings hover between abstraction and figuration, inviting viewers to experience their own interpretations and connections.

Her work has been exhibited and collected extensively across the UK and internationally, including Barcelona, New York, Texas, San Francisco, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Artist Statement

"I am captivated by landscapes that stir memory and emotion, places that have shaped my own journey. From the tangled canal banks of my childhood to the vast solitude of the North Yorkshire moors and coastline, I explore the liminal spaces where land, water, and sky meet. Through light, texture, and expressive gesture, I explore the atmosphere, memory, and emotion of the landscape. I hope my work sparks a sense of possibility and invites the viewer into a space of reflection and wonder."

Welcoming Tessa Houghton's New Exhibition 'Water Meets Sky'

We’re delighted to welcome back international artist Tessa Houghton to Chirpy with her new exhibition ‘Water Meets Sky’

Tessa will be launching her exhibition on Friday 11th April with a informal drinks reception - all welcome to come along.

She’ll then be at Chirpy for a ‘Meet the Artist’ on Saturday 12th April. Come along to chat to Tessa to find out her inspiration for her new body of work.

Tessa’s exhibition with run until Friday 25th April

Born in Lancashire in 1976 Tessa Houghton uses oils to create dreamlike ethereal landscapes that are infused with light, texture, and infinite possibilities. Inspired by nature with its inherent symbolism and contrasts, the paintings attempt to explore themes of fragility and strength, transience and endurance, death and renewal. The work ofter explores the strong emotional attachments we have with particular places and the memories that go with them.

Since receiving a BA(hons) in Fine Art from Liverpool John Moores University in 1998 Tessa's work has been exhibited and collected extensively throughout the UK and internationally including places such as Barcelona, New York, Texas, LA, Hong Kong, and Singapore.

Artist statement

'Although my paintings are not direct representations of place, I am often drawn back to and inspired by landscapes that have personal significance, such as the landscape of my childhood; tangled canal banks and the vast solitude of the West Pennine moors. I'm particularly drawn to liminal spaces, where water meets land or land meets sky. These in- between areas are full of mystery and possibility, which is something I try to evoke in my work. The way light interacts with water, casting reflections and constantly shifting, is a recurring theme for me.

I see the paintings as explorations into atmosphere, memory and emotion. I trust in the power of suggestion and the paintings tend to hover between abstraction and figuration. The resulting images are ambiguous rather than definitive. I like the idea that they will trigger a memory or a sensation by being recognisable or familiar in some way and the final interpretation is left open to the viewer.'