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Like Ships in the Night

A Solo Exhibition by Rory Williams

Friday 5 July—Sunday 11 August 2024

Have you ever stopped to think about the people you encounter every day? The stranger on the bus, the shopper disappearing down another aisle, people in the street you catch as a fleeting glimpse as you walk by. These figures enter your life for a fraction of a moment only to disappear just as quickly, leaving nothing but a fuzzy afterimage of an idea.

Yet, these people live complete lives, and in doing so they complete others’.

They are the main characters of their own stories just like we are in ours. These people stay in my mind, temporary and unclear, but striking in their clarity for the individuality they hold.

Even to those who we know best – friends, family, colleagues, and acquaintances – there are facets of their character that are all too easy to overlook or make assumptions about.

Between every individual, there is an infinite and fascinating space of the unknown.

Like Ships in the Night is my first solo exhibition, and features paintings as candid observations of these characters, portraying encounters with individuals in my everyday life.

Filling the Stairs, Oil on canvas, 2024

Girl with a Lobster Earring, Oil on canvas, 2024
Girl with a Lobster Earring, Oil on canvas, 2024

Tsukiji Outer Market, Oil on canvas, 2024
Tsukiji Outer Market, Oil on canvas, 2024

Filling the Stairs, Oil on canvas, 2024
Filling the Stairs, Oil on canvas, 2024

Exhibition Opening, Oil on canvas, 2024
Exhibition Opening, Oil on canvas, 2024

An Afternoon Promenade along the Tyne, Oil on canvas, 2024
An Afternoon Promenade along the Tyne, Oil on canvas, 2024

The Arachne Project, Charcoal on paper, 2024
The Arachne Project, Charcoal on paper, 2024

What's in the News, Oil on canvas, 2024
What’s in the News, Oil on canvas, 2024

Dance Lesson I, Oil on canvas, 2024
Dance Lesson I, Oil on canvas, 2024

Dance Lesson II, Oil on canvas, 2024
Dance Lesson II, Oil on canvas, 2024

The Recalcitrant Matriarch, Oil on canvas, 2024
The Recalcitrant Matriarch, Oil on canvas, 2024

The Curious Readers, Oil on canvas, 2024
The Curious Readers, Oil on canvas, 2024

A Rainy Evening in Chamonix, Oil on canvas, 2024
A Rainy Evening in Chamonix, Oil on canvas, 2024

Afternoon on Grey Street, Charcoal on paper, 2024
Afternoon on Grey Street, Charcoal on paper, 2024

Darren Drawing, Oil and charcoal on canvas, 2024
Darren Drawing, Oil and charcoal on canvas, 2024

Debbie Drawing, Oil and charcoal on canvas, 2024
Debbie Drawing, Oil and charcoal on canvas, 2024

Descending, Charcoal on paper, 2024
Descending, Charcoal on paper, 2024

Hope for Peace, Oil on canvas, 2024
Hope for Peace, Oil on canvas, 2024

L'Autre Origine du Monde, Oil on canvas, 2024
L’Autre Origine du Monde, Oil on canvas, 2024

Like Father Like Son I, Oil on canvas, 2024
Like Father Like Son I, Oil on canvas, 2024

Like Father Like Son II, Oil on canvas, 2024
Like Father Like Son II, Oil on canvas, 2024

Like Father Like Son III, Oil on canvas, 2024
Like Father Like Son III, Oil on canvas, 2024

Making Hearts EDIT

Platform 4, Charcoal and chalk on paper, 2024
Platform 4, Charcoal and chalk on paper, 2024

Mike and the Mug, Oil on canvas, 2024
Mike and the Mug, Oil on canvas, 2024

Scroll, Oil and charcoal on canvas board, 2024
Scroll, Oil and charcoal on canvas board, 2024

Seaham Car Boot Sale, Oil on canvas, 2024
Seaham Car Boot Sale, Oil on canvas, 2024

Night Market, Oil on canvas, 2024
Night Market, Oil on canvas, 2024



Virtual Tour

Click and drag the screen to rotate the camera, then click the arrows on the floor to move around the gallery space. Click on the artwork to view a close-up.