Downstairs

18 May – 30 May

'OFF HOURS' - Rowan Love

Artist Statement:  ROWAN LOVE

I am a contemporary realist painter drawn to the quiet edges of the built world — the liminal spaces where industry meets memory. My work is rooted in nostalgia, inspired by the kinds of places we wander through as teenagers: back lots, yards, harbours, and half-forgotten structures that sit just outside the centre of things. These are spaces shaped by human activity but often experienced in solitude, and it’s that tension - presence through absence - that keeps me returning to them.

I typically paint on square panels, which gives each scene a sense of containment, like a held breath. The format forces a fixed point of view, as if there is nowhere to go but forward, inviting the viewer into a moment suspended between familiarity and distance. I make a point of not including figures in my paintings; their absence highlights the traces they leave behind - flaking paint, rusted metal, improvised structures, and the slow reclaiming force of nature.

My process is patient and layered. Working in acrylic on board, I build each painting through washes, glazing, and fine detailing with very small brushes. Painting, for me, is a meditative practice. A single piece can take anywhere from one to six months to complete. This slow, deliberate approach mirrors the quiet, lingering atmosphere I aim to capture: the stillness of a yard after work has stopped, the soft light at the end of the day, the feeling of standing somewhere that once meant something to you.

My hope is that these paintings feel familiar, even if you've never stood in these exact places. They're invitations to remember - to step back into the off hours of your own life, where the world felt bigger, emptier and full of possibility.