Myths & Annunciations
Cecilia Charlton & Charlotte Evans
Candida Stevens Gallery is pleased to present Myths & Annunciations an exhibition exploring the ways in which two artists working in very different styles have been inspired by the same period of art history. Cecilia Charlton is an American-born textile artist living in the UK, who uses bargello embroidery to create striking compositions that channel energy and narrative through geometric form. Charlotte Evans is a British-born painter living in Canada, whose figurative oil paintings blend art historical and autobiographical references to produce scenes layered with allegory and intrigue. Ostensibly, these artists are nothing alike, working in different styles and mediums. And yet, they have something in common. From illuminated manuscripts and painted altarpieces to classicism and architecture, both Charlton and Evans cite their use of pattern and colour as being heavily influenced by the same period of art history - the Italian Renaissance.
For Cecilia Charlton it was a well-timed trip in 2016 to Florence, birthplace of the Renaissance, that set her on the path to bargello embroidery. Visiting the Battistero di San Giovanni, she found herself captivated by the thirteenth century mosaic ‘carpets’ covering its floor. As a student struggling to find a connection with paint, her chosen medium at the time, these complex geometric arrangements of red, white and black marble stopped Charlton in her tracks. Why had they been made? How had they been devised? How did it feel to create them? Back in London not long after, a book about bargello embroidery caught her eye. Realising that it was textiles to which she really felt a kinship (her mother was a seamstress and grandmother studied textiles), Charlton had discovered the perfect medium to begin her journey in pattern.
Characterised by its vertical stitches woven in repeating, mathematical patterns, Charlton describes working with bargello as a collaboration between artist and material. Typically created using wool yarn on canvas, the artist stretches her embroidery over painted panels. Layering materials, patterns and colours in this way, she creates a dynamic surface that draws the viewer in. In Charlton’s latest series of Psychic Portals we see the way this rewards those who allow themselves to become immersed in her work. Drawing on a series of tantric paintings from Rajasthan, they encourage the viewer to focus on the image for a sustained period, allowing the visual to fill one’s mind and empty it of other thoughts. In this sense, we see how geometric forms can offer far more than mere decoration and that, for the artist, they provide a pathway for powerful communication.
In 2021, when Charlton was a winner of the Jerwood Art Fund Makers Open in recognition of her ambition and innovation in textiles, the artist was determined to demonstrate the narrative potential of bargello embroidery.
Eternal myth and the poetry of the cosmos (fate, future, suture), 2022, does just that. Inspired by the ancient Greek myth of the Three Fates, this monumental triptych considers the parallels between the mythological sisters who spin, allot and cut the thread of life and the artist’s own identity as one of three sisters herself. Reminiscent of Renaissance altarpieces in which figures were often delineated either physically as single panels joined together or by painted architectural forms, in Charlton’s work the three panels are separated by colour and unified by pattern. Each defined by a distinct colour palette chosen to represent birth (pastel pink), life (vibrant green) and death (fading blue), the panels are connected by a continuous outer border and central motif that radiates across all three. Vines grow upwards on the left, bursts of energy pulsate in the middle and the ripples of time flow down on the right such that, in this remarkable work, Charlton manages to transform allegory into abstraction, channelling the energy and character of each sister through pattern and colour alone.
From Byzantine icons to the height of the Renaissance, the use of pattern and colour in the representation of identity is a long-held concept in art history and one that Charlotte Evans uses throughout her work. From geometric patterns to symbolic flowers and fruits, she frequently relies on costume as a means through which something of the essence of her mysterious figures can be understood. In her enigmatic new work, Reach Out, for example, each figure is brought to life through dress. At the centre, a seemingly medieval outfit is transformed through bold colour-blocking to create an otherworldly feel to the subject. To the right, a figure seems to stand guard as they look directly at the viewer, cloaked in long green robes. To the left, a figure is turned away from both viewer and painting but, with hand outstretched, the bright yellow fabric covered in dandelions seems to encourage us to take their hand and follow them.
Reach Out is, in fact, a fascinating take on Giotto’s Annunciation to St Anne (c1303-5). Depicting the moment that St Anne receives word she will become a mother, in this early Renaissance fresco, three figures converge from different spaces - a servant just outside an arched doorway, St Anne kneeling beneath a timber-framed ceiling, and an angel crossing the threshold from heaven to earth through an open window. In Evans’ recreation, however, there is a purposeful disconnect between the three figures who all seem to be heading away from view in different directions, as if the room is a set on a stage that will soon be empty of its characters.
In Wings, the same room is filled again, this time with three small birds who
appear suspended in mid-flight, their direction of travel left uncertain. With hands extending into the painting, we are left wondering if the birds have just been released into the painting or whether they have flown in through the open window and are being rescued from the confines of the room. The scene is reminiscent of Antonello da Messina’s Saint Jerome in his Study (c1475), in which two birds sit on a ledge in the foreground, at the threshold of the painting, such that their place of belonging - the real world or within the painting - is left for the viewer to decide.
The element of spectatorship has long been an interest of Evans, who has previously described her compositions as theatrical sets through which her subjects emerge and disappear. In her latest series of work, the artist has drawn inspiration from the Renaissance technique of using archways to delineate space and create a sense of interior and exterior in her compositions. In Wayfarers, for example, an arch framed by leaves provides the window through which we view the landscape and figures beyond. And in Pebbles, a work that draws on the mythological figure of Narcissus, the figure's sense of self-absorption and isolation is amplified by his placement inside a stoney grotto, his back turned to the beauty of the world beyond the arches.
Bringing together new and recent works, Myths & Annunciations demonstrates the different ways in which the Renaissance has influenced both Charlton and Evans, transcending genre and medium to create a series of works that hang in playful conversation with each other. Together, they prove the power of pattern and colour to communicate narrative and emotion, regardless of style or form.
Essay by Isabella Joughin
Made up of 3 individual
200 x 270 cm
Cecilia Charlton
The flower of what’s true [red], 2024
Hand-embroidered wool yarn on cotton canvas over cedar panel, 24-carat gold leaf 40 x 40 cm
Cecilia Charlton under the cloud of passing time, which flows endlessly, constantly spinning its thread, rarely golden, often leaden [purple-yellow psychic portal], 2024 Hand-embroidered wool yarn on cotton canvas over cedar panel, 24-carat gold leaf 100 x 90 cm
Cecilia Charlton
sky-mask bearing the hint of eyes, or of a mouth, or perhaps both [pink-green psychic portal], 2024
Hand-embroidered wool yarn on cotton canvas over cedar panel, 24-carat gold leaf 100 x 90 cm
Cecilia Charlton
the two eternal poles of the world meet, multiply and converse [blue-red psychic portal] 2024
Hand-embroidered wool yarn on cotton canvas over cedar panel, 24-carat gold leaf
100 x 90 cm
Cecilia Charlton
First, you don’t know what you don’t know [Ocean series, Sunlight Zone], 2023 Hand-woven cotton and wool yarn
107 x 86.5 cm
Cecilia Charlton
Then, you know what you don’t know [Ocean series, Twilight Zone], 2023 Hand-woven cotton and wool yarn
107 x 86.5 cm
Cecilia Charlton
Next, you know what you know [Ocean series, Midnight Zone], 2023 Hand-woven cotton and wool yarn
107 x 86.5 cm
Cecilia Charlton
And then, you don’t know what you know [Ocean series, Abyssal Zone], 2023 Hand-woven cotton and wool yarn
107 x 86.5 cm
Cecilia Charlton
The flower of what’s true [blue], 2024 Hand-embroidered wool yarn and acrylic paint on cotton canvas over cedar panel, 24-carat gold leaf 40 x 40 cm
Cecilia Charlton
Pattern analysis [Golden Ratio, seafoam and coral], 2022
Hand-embroidered wool yarn and acrylic paint on canvas over painted and gilded panel 147 x 90 cm
Charlotte Evans
Player 5, 2022
Oil on panel
25.5 x 20 x 2 cm
Charlotte Evans
Player 8, 2022
Oil on panel
25.5 x 20 x 2 cm
Charlotte Evans
Player 2, 2022
Oil on panel
25.5 x 20 x 2 cm
Charlotte Evans
Player 10, 2022
Oil on panel
25.5 x 20 x 2 cm
Charlotte Evans
Butterflies, 2024
Gouache on paper
25 x 17 cm image (40.5 x 30.5 paper size)
Charlotte Evans
Dance by the light of the moon, 2024
Gouache on paper
25 x 17 cm image (40.5 x 30.5 paper size)
Cecilia Charlton
Solitary being [brick], 2022
Hand-woven cotton and wool yarn
41 x 35.5 cm
Charlotte Evans
Hobby horse, 2024
Gouache on paper
25 x 17 cm image (40.5 x 30.5 paper size)
Charlotte Evans
Diana/Artemis, 2024
Gouache on paper
25 x 17 cm image (40.5 x 30.5 paper size)
Cecilia Charlton
Dome of heaven [ouroboros], 2024
Hand-embroidered wool yarn and acrylic paint on cotton canvas over cedar panel, 24-carat gold leaf 61 x 61 cm
Cecilia Charlton
b. 1985, Corning, New York, USA
Lives and works in London, UK
Education
2018 MA Painting, Royal College of Art, London UK
2015 BFA Painting, Hunter College, New York NY
Exhibitions
2024 Revival, Cambridge’s Painted Church, Cambridge UK
2024 Colours Uncovered, Harewood House, Leeds UK
2024 COLLECT art fair, Candida Stevens Gallery, Somerset House, London UK
2023 Positions: Part Two, Alma Pearl Gallery, London UK
2023 Summer Exhibition, Candida Stevens Gallery, Chichester UK
2023 Altered Sites: On Psychedelic Architecture, West Dean College of Arts and Conservation
2023 Memory Garden, Garden Museum, London UK (solo)
2023 COLLECT Art Fair, Candida Stevens Gallery, Somerset House, London UK
2023 Syzygy, Candida Stevens Gallery, Chichester UK (solo)
2022 COLLECT Art Fair, Candida Stevens Gallery, Somerset House, London UK
2022 Jerwood Art Fund Makers Open, Jerwood Arts (London), Newlyn Art Gallery (Penzance), Aberdeen Art Gallery (Aberdeen) -- touring exhibition
2021 Mammoth Loop, SPACE Ilford, London UK (solo)
2021 Love Token, Robert Young Antiques, London UK (solo)
2021 Folk Art, London Art Fair Platform section, Candida Stevens Gallery,
2010 Strategic Opportunities Stipend, NYFA
2009 Strategic Opportunities Stipend, NYFA
2009 Bob Tichane Endowment for the Arts, Corning Community College
Commissions
2022 Bloom Nine Elms (Double Decker)
2022 London School of Economics (Artiq)
2021 SPACE Ilford (sponsored by Mercers Charitable Foundation)
2021 Bart’s Health NHS Trust (Vital Arts)
2021 Jerwood Art Fund Makers Open (Jerwood Arts)
2018 Cunard Line (Double Decker)
Public Collections
London School of Economics
Guy’s and St Thomas’ Foundation
Barts Health NHS Trust
Residencies
2024 West Dean College Artist-in-Residence, Sussex UK (forthcoming)
2023 Verpejos, Kabeliai Lithuania
2022 Villa Lena, Tuscany Italy
2017 RUD AIR, Laxarby Sweden
2016 Vermont Studio Center, Johnson VT
2015 Arteles Creative Center, Haukijärvi Finland
2014 Yale Norfolk School of Music & Art, Norfolk CT
Workshops
2024 Bargello workshop, bargello workshop, Cambridge’s Painted Church, Cambridge UK
2023 Memory Garden, bargello workshops and weaving demos, London Craft Week, Garden Museum, London UK
2023 75th Anniversary of the NHS, bargello workshop, Wellcome Museum, London UK
2022 Youth Workshop, bargello workshop with secondary school students, Jerwood Arts, London UK
2022 Workshop series at Villa Lena, bargello and darning workshops, Villa Lena Artist Residency, Tuscany Italy
2022 COSMOS, bargello workshop with selection of readings, Jerwood Arts, London UK
2021 Mammoth Loop: A stitch in time, a series of 15 textile workshops with local seniors, SPACE Ilford, London UK
2021 Bargello Bonanza!, bargello workshop, Robert Young Antiques, London UK
2019 Fruits of Origin: Thinking and Talking Beyond Embroidery, crewel workshop, AMP Gallery, London UK
2018 Sewing Circle: Stitching and the Fabric of Conversation, crewel workshop, UCL Art Museum, London UK
Publications / Press
2024 The Londonist
2024 Ateliers d’Art
2023 FX Magazine
2023 FT Weekend
2023 El País
2023 Crafts Magazine, artist feature
2023 Sotheby’s Reside
2023 The Times
2023 artnet, review
2023 The Protagonist Magazine, review
CHARLOTTE EVANS
b. 1981, London, UK
Lives and works in Toronto, Canada
EDUCATION
2003 BA (Hons) Fine Art, Byam Shaw School of Art, London, UK
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023 Candida Stevens Gallery, Kiss the Joy that Flies
2014 Five Points Gallery, Torrington, CT, USA ‘Charlotte Evans’
2013 Home Gallery, London, UK ‘paper works’
2012 Home Gallery, London, UK ‘paper works’
2012 Wayfarers, Brooklyn, NY, USA ‘Dreams, and Other Places’
2011 The Purple Crayon, Hastings-On-Hudson, NY, USA ‘Charlotte Evans’ 2010 Home Gallery, London, UK ‘paper works’
2005 Bush Bar, London, UK ‘Trees’
2005 Canvas Gallery, Brighton, UK ‘Charlotte Evans’
2003 Targetfollow Group, Wembley Point, London, UK ‘Swallows and Amazon’
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024 Candida Stevens Gallery, Myths & Annunciations, Charlotte Evans & Cecilia Charlton
2022 Candida Stevens Gallery at Cromwell Place, London, place - displace.
2018 Candida Stevens Gallery, UK ‘Present Day, Supporting Living Artists’
2017 Candida Stevens Gallery, UK ‘December’
2017 Candida Stevens Gallery, UK ‘Spring- Looking at the New’
2016 First Street Gallery, NY, NY, USA, ‘Artists Invite Artists’
2015 Wayfarers, Brooklyn, NY, USA ‘Family Album’
2015 3Walls, Brooklyn, USA ‘two person show’
2015 Madelyn Jordan Fine Art, Scarsdale, NY, USA ‘I am What I am Not Yet’
2015 Sara Nightingale Gallery, Hamptons, NY, USA ‘Reinventing the Helm’
2015 Cynthia Corbett Gallery, London, UK ‘Young Masters- Focus on Painting’
2014 Wayfarers, Brooklyn, NY, USA ‘Almanac’
2014 The Bushwick Gallery Association, Brooklyn, NY, USA ‘Philae Bounced’
2014 Spacewomb Gallery, NY, NY, USA ‘Dreamcatcher’
2014 Concepto Hudson, Husdon, NY, USA ‘Vantage Point’
2014 The Curator Gallery, NY, NY, USA ‘Away We Go: Emerging Brooklyn Artists’
2014 Gallery Orange Contemporary, New Orleans, USA
2014 Wayfarers, Brooklyn, NY, USA ‘ashen branches, vibrant keys- Charlotte Evans and CHIOZZA’
2013 Da Wang Cultural Highland, Shenzhen, China, Feng Ling Shan Shui International Art Exhibition
2013 3Walls, Brooklyn, NY, USA ‘two artists’
2012 east2collective, Houston, TX, USA ‘5by5by5’
2012 Wayfarers, Brooklyn, NY, USA ‘I Choo-Choo-Choose You’
2011 Wayfarers, Brooklyn, NY, USA ‘For’
2008 Will’s Art Warehouse, London, UK ‘Greatest Hits- our bestselling artists’
2007 Will’s Art Warehouse, London, UK
2006 Art for Art’s Sake’, The Ground Floor Group, London, UK
2006 Will’s Art Warehouse, London, UK
2006 The Picture House Harrogate, Harrogate, UK
2005 Heal’s, London, UK
2005 Will’s Art Warehouse, London, UK ‘Nature’
2004 QUODart, Brighton, UK
2004 Will’s Art Warehouse, London, UK ‘Emerging’
2003 John Adams Fine Art, London, UK