about
Alec Cumming in his studio, photo by Alfredo
Alec is an artist who works internationally having spent several years working in India. He now spends time considering his influences in different locations such as California and Sri Lanka.
His practice, oil on canvas, is traditional in medium but the images that jump in and around the canvas are vibrant and playful. Within his work he continues to explore the idea of fleeting moments. Currently settled back to the UK, He finds himself considering the visual stimulus discovered in his three years spent in India, and travelling since then, and how these staggeringly different locations play out on canvas with his current settled space in Norfolk.
Questions such as how this imagery translates into a ‘pan global’ vocabulary become interesting. Creating a dialogue of mixing a western/eastern influence and the back and forth nature of the discussion happen on the surface of the canvas; moments, that may or may not have existed.
Within his own abstracted painting style there are shapes and forms that lead to suggestions of 'things'. The ideas of semi-recognisable forms can suggest a narrative. Forms appear through drawings, thoughts, ideas and experiences. The paintings may suggest spaces he knows, fabrics, places, an interesting space between buildings seen whilst walking in the street, a moment glimpsed whilst laying poolside, or even a collection of observed objects, tyres stacked on the road or a table laden with drinks and paraphernalia.
Many of these important elements are enhanced by a desire to explore the way light in these places enhances the compositions he allows himself to glimpse, bright harsh light that makes colours pop and resonate, a shimmering haze feeling. He wants his paintings to have the same resonation. This of kind Abstraction allows him the pleasure of observing the world and translating it into a visual dialogue.
Alec Cumming graduated in 2007 from Norwich University of the Arts with a degree in Fine Art. He has enjoyed success with a number of major solo shows in London, throughout the UK and abroad. You’ll find him deep in the countryside of Norfolk, but very close to Norwich, UK. He has spent time working globally and in particular has spent a long time in Delhi, India, where he had a studio at the Niv Art Centre in South Delhi for three years.
Alec exhibited at 9 India Art Fairs and is the youngest artist to have a solo exhibition with the British Council in India. At the India Art Fair 2016 he was selected as 'the one to watch' by the art critics alongside G R Iranna and Francesco Clemente. In 2017 Alec was selected for a Residency with Dyad Creative in conjunction with Museums in India and the South Asia Collection in the UK. In this space he made his monumental painting project 'Dialogues with India', a series of 4m long mural works considering material memory. In 2018 Alec had shows in LA and continues to build a audience there with participation in art fairs throughout 2019. In 2019 Alec begun to work with The Edit Gallery in Cyprus. Since 2022 he is represented by Rhodes Contemporarary Art London, Uk.
Exhibitions & Qualifications
Solo Exhibitions
May 2024, ‘Sensation of being’, The Corn Hall, Diss, Norfolk, UK
June 2022, Salcheto Winery X Bandito Residency, Montepulciano, Tuscany, Italy
December 2021, ‘The Other Art fair x The Hoxton’, The Hoxton Holborn, London, UK
October 2019, ‘Perfect Adventures’, The Edit Gallery, Limassol, Cyprus
May 2018, ‘Things Apart, an exploration of material memory’, The South Asia Collection, Norwich UK
December 2017, ‘Dialogues with India’, Dove Street Residency, Norwich, UK
February 2017, ‘Stripped Bare’, The Stainless Gallery, New Delhi, India
March 2016, ‘Provenance Norwich’, The Crypt Gallery, Norwich School, Norwich, UK
November 2015, ‘ Art & Soul ‘, Bang & Olufson, Norwich, UK
September 2015, ‘Alec Cumming; ‘New Painting’, The Atkinson Gallery, Millfield, Street, Somerset, UK
December 2013, 'To Wander, To Lust', The Gallery, Norwich University of the Arts, Norwich, Norfolk, UK
July 2013, 'Earthly Epics, Paradise Spice', Art 1821, Norwich, Norfolk, UK
September 2012, 'To Wander, to Lust', The Queens Gallery, British Council, New Delhi, India
September 2011, ‘A language of its own’, Alan Wheatley Art, 22 Masons Yard, Duke Street, St James, London
June, 2010 , ‘Forms that Flow’, Alan Wheatley Art, 22 Masons Yard, Duke Street St Jame's, London
March 2009, Recent Works at Epic, 112-114 Magdelan Street, Norwich, Norfolk
January 2008, The Swan House, Beccles
July 2005 Recent Paintings at The Exchange Gallery, Harleston
Group Exhibitions
August 2024, The Originals Show, Print Club London, London, UK
May 2024, The Other Art Fair, New York, Brookly NY, USA
September 2023, The Other Art fair, LA. The Barker hanger, Santa Monica, USA
June 2023, London Gallery weekend, Rhodes contemporary art, London, UK
June 2023, Abstraction, Pilgrims contemporary, Keswick pencil factory, UK
May 2023, The other art fair Los Angeles, Barker Hanger, Santa Monica, USA
December 2022, ‘Contemporary Now’, The Edit Gallery, Nicosia, Cyprus
September 2022, The Other Art Fair Los Angeles, Barker Hanger, Santa Monica, USA
June 2022, The Other Art Fair New York, Knockdown centre, Brooklyn, NY, USA
March 2022, The Other Art Fair London, Truman Brewery, London, UK
November 2021, Footprints, Pilgrims Contemporary, Art Hub Studios, London, UK
October 2021, The Other Art Fair London, Truman Brewery, London, UK
July 2021, HOPE, Fitzroy Modern Art, Norton Subcourse, Norfolk UK
April 2020, The Other Art Fair LA, Barker Hanger, SM, Los Angeles, USA (online)
March 2020, The Other Art Fair London, Truman Brewery, London, UK (online)
December 2019, Another One, The Edit Gallery, Limassol, Cyprus
October 2019, The Other Art Fair, London, UK
September 2019, The Other Art Fair, Los Angeles, USA
August 2019, Summer 19, The Edit Gallery, Limasol, Cyprus
April 2019, Kunsthalle, Aeroskobing, Denmark
March 2019, The Other Art Fair, Los Angeles, USA
March 2019, The Other Art Fair, London, UK
January 2019, Artists are the new Athletes, The Edit Gallery, Limasol, Cyprus
December 2018, ‘A Winters Tale’, Paris, France
October 2018, The Other Art Fair, Los Angeles, USA
March 2018, The Other Art Fair, Los Angeles , USA
September 2017, Seeing Things, two man show with James Metsoja, Nunns Yard Gallery, Norwich, UK
January 2016, India Art fair 8th Edition, Delhi, India
January 2015, India Art Fair 7th Edition, Delhi, India
November 2014, Printed Painting, Alec Cumming and Tazelaar Stevenson, 13A, St Augustines Street, Norwich, Norfolk, UK
July 2014, Holt Festival Art Prize, The Auden Theatre, Holt, Norfolk, UK
February 2014, India Art Fair 6th Edition, Delhi, India
December 2013, Mumbai Art Festival, Art and Aesthetic, Mumbai, India
October 2013, 'Own An Original', Art And Aesthetic, Lado Sarai, New Delhi, India
September 2013, 'The Deck Of Cards', Art 1821, Norwich, UK
September 2013, 'The Black Frame Project: Your Singapore', Indigo Blue Art, Singapore
August 2013, 'Time Will Tell - Forms and Expressions Of Young Contemporaries', Art and Aesthetic, Lado Sarai, New Delhi, India
April 2013, Salon de Printempts, Art 18/21, Norwich
February 2013, India Art Fair 5th Edition, Delhi, India
November 2012, Mumbai Art Festival, Art and Aesthetic, Mumbai, India
June 2012, Summer Bodies, Art 18/21, Tombland, Norwich
July 2012, Norfolk Contemporary Art Society, NCA 12, The Forum, Norwich
Febuary 2012, West:East, Exhibition with Mathew Lanyon, Art 18/21, Norwich
Febuary 2012, Val Baroda, MS University Gallery, Baroda, Gujarat, India
January 2012, 4th India Art Fair, New Delhi, India
July 2011, Salthouse 11, 'Ad limina', Salthouse, North Norfolk
May 2011, Summer Exhibition, Art 1821, Norwich
March 2011, Inspirations, Jarrolds, St James Mill, Norwich
January 2011, India Art Summit 2011, New Delhi, India
December 2010, New Paintings, ICA Gallery, Jaipur, India
October - November 2010, ‘The Touch of Paint, Maggi Hambling, Tory Lawrence, Chris Newson’, Alec Cumming, Art 1821 Gallery, Norwich
February 2010, Raw Gestures, Art 1821 Gallery, Norwich
January 2010 'Norfolk Artists.' Mandell's Gallery, Norwich.
December 2009, Target Follow winter art fair, Bally Shoe Factory, Hall Road, Norwich
September 2009 Exhibition with Jamie Andrews, Stew Gallery, 40 Fishergate, Norwich, NR3 1SL
May 2009 Norfolk and Norwich Open Studios
May 2009 Any Day Now, Stew Gallery, Norwich, Norfolk
September 2007, the Cut Arts Centre, Halesworth, Suffolk
July 2007, NSAD Degree Show, Norwich School of Art and Design, Norwich
October 2006. Norwich Fringe Festival, Bally Shoe Factory, Norwich
December 2005 Hans Brinker Hotel, Amsterdam, Holland
Organizations
Board Member of Norwich Co-op Arts 2008-2010
Member of STEW Artist Studios, and Gallery, 40 Fishergate, Norwich. 2008-2011
Student Union President, Norwich School of Art and Design, 2007-2009
Qualifications
BTEC National Diploma Fine Art, Norwich City College 2002-2004
Ba (hons) Fine Art, Norwich School of Art and Design 2004-2007
Residencies
October – November 2010, ICA Gallery, Jaipur, India
November 2011 – November 2013, NIV art Centre, Delhi, India
July 2015 – July 2016, Norwich Cathedral School, Norwich, UK
June 2017 - July 2017, Goa Chitra Museum, Delhi, India
October 2017 - December 2017, Dove Street Studios, Norwich, UK
June 2020, Banditto Residency, Tuscany, Italy.