Fergus Hare exhibiting at Chichester’s Oxmarket

“In the last two or three years I have almost exclusively been working in acrylics on brown paper or clear primed linen,” Fergus said. “ I have been incorporating figures into my work again, working from a range of different source material.

“I started to get frustrated by being asked ‘Where is that?’ or ‘Who is that?’ when people looked at my work. It’s my own fault from probably painting specific places and people for so long.

"The identity of the people and places in my paintings now mostly are not important and I want them to retain a certain ambiguity. I sometimes just number my work too as a direct protest of the literal titles I used to give my landscape work, such as South Downs at Sunset etc.

“I’m still asked those questions from time to time, but I’m hoping people will understand when they see the vague titles and the sometimes lack of detail on the faces of the figures. Instead, I’m trying to capture character and personality through the shapes of their posture and the way their clothes sit. I like the abstract qualities of them. I often deliberately leave sections of the painting unpainted or unfinished.

“I like to paint people in almost mundane settings. For the most part, the gathering of the people in the paintings are random, and the compositions are often dictated by the colours of their clothing. I don’t really have a particular message. If I there is one, it’s that I like to think about things in relation to the Cosmos. The definition of the Cosmos, as Carl Sagan put it, is everything there ever was is or ever will be. I like that everything can be united that way. I think that when my work is viewed as a whole, then I can see that there might appear to be lots of different things going on, but to me it’s all the same story that I’m telling. That’s what the Cosmos is. I can only make the work that I want to make and I’m happy if it has a positive effect on the people who see it.

“I hope that people will take from my work what they want, and it will differ from person to person, and I think that’s how it should be. I think art, like music, should carry its own relevance with the people who experience it. I’m hoping it will relate to people differently, and I certainly can’t ask them to feel about my work the same way I do, for instance. So much information today is overshared. I think a sense of mystery is key to make work that will last.”

Louise Cameron, donor and supporter of the exhibition, said: “I first saw Fergus’s work on the cover of an arts magazine and knew I had to track him down. He lives in Brighton and trained at the Camberwell College of Art. Whether working in pastels, acrylic or oils, he uses a restricted pallet and a sophisticated restraint to create narratives that evoke a bygone era. He is a master of light and colour.

"The Oxmarket is a vibrant trustee and volunteer run charity. It needs support to help it withstand global events and the cost-of-living crisis. It is crucial to the artistic welfare of the whole community so we are delighted to be supporting this exhibition.”

Sophie Hull, Oxmarket chairman, added: “We are absolutely thrilled to have Charles and Louise’s support to make this exceptional exhibition possible for this outstanding local artist. It makes a huge difference to us and the community and emerging artists.”