Dumbarton artist's joy after he’s shortlisted for ‘spirituality’ award

Lewis Deeney has been shortlisted for the Chaiya Art & Spirituality Award, which highlights the best works by artists that question the bigger picture in all aspects of modern life.

The piece he submitted, named ‘The Sun of Intelligence in the World of Ideas’, forms part of his new Emergence collection, which he created when he lived in Northern Ireland last year.

The Sun of Intelligence in the World of Ideas forms part of his Emergence collection

He told the Reporter: “When I had seen the awards online I knew I had to submit a piece because a lot of my artwork is focused on spirituality and it is something that I truly resonate with.

“I am honoured to have been shortlisted, it is a wonderful opportunity to meet people in this niche section of the art world and share their ideas.

“I had originally intended on making a series of work using the laser cutter as it has become a foundational part of my practice. My work is a balance between expressive abstract painting and geometric shapes and layering thread over the canvas is a new innovation to bring geometric order to my abstract painting.

“My first attempt at it wasn’t very successful but I could see beyond that, and my mind was racing with ideas about all the potential paintings I could make and I knew that it was going to be special.

“Emergence is a concept that has fascinated me for a while, how simple interaction when combined creates a higher order complexity, things become more than the sum of their parts.

“The painting is composed of hundreds if not thousands of layers of thread, and the finished painting emerges out of the interactions between the individual layers.”

Now the 28-year-old is back living in his home town and has many ventures on his palette including representing Scotland in the Lorient Interceltic Festival.

Lewis’s piece has been shortlisted in the Chiaya Art & Spirituality Award (Pic: Danielle Stewart)

He added: “It is definitely good to be back home where I grew up because I have so many projects ahead.

“You come back and look at things with fresh eyes and appreciate the things you took for granted before.”

The award’s exhibition will be taking place at gallery@oxo and the Bargehouse gallery on London’s Southbank next month and the winner will receive £10,000.

For more information about Lewis’s work, and the awards themselves, visit lewisdeeney.co.uk.