Magical Realms: Nature, Myth & Imagination
- | East Gallery
Open from Tuesday 17 March - Saturday 21 March 2026, 10am to 5pm
Free Admission, no booking required
Magical Realms: Nature, Myth & Imagination brings together the work of Consuelo Child-Villiers and Simon Tarrant, two artists whose friendship and artistic dialogue has spanned over three decades. Their paintings, though rooted in distinct personal visions, find resonance in shared fascinations: the mysteries of the natural world, the enduring power of myth, and the boundless terrain of the imagination.
In this exhibition, their realms meet. Creatures emerge that are both familiar and otherworldly, landscapes unfold between dream and reality, and identities shift and expand beyond ordinary boundaries. What unites their work is not only subject matter, but a deep sense of collaboration, trust, and mutual inspiration — a testament to the ways in which art and friendship can intertwine, evolve, and endure.
Consuelo Child-Villiers and Simon Tarrant have developed their own distinctive artistic languages while maintaining a long-standing creative dialogue. Both are known for richly imaginative work that bridges the boundaries between natural forms, mythology, and the dreamlike realms of the subconscious.
Simon Tarrant
Simon Tarrant is an Irish/British self-taught artist based in Hampshire. Working primarily in oils, he explores themes of nature and the cosmos through paintings on glass, canvas, and mixed media. His practice encompasses both vibrant landscapes and Richterian abstractions, often using experimental techniques such as oil-on-glass mono-printing.
Tarrant's colourful artwork explores the celestial micro and macrocosms of our world.
Tarrant’s philosophy embraces art as a dialogue between the visible and invisible, the real and imagined. His work channels the rhythms of the natural world and the awe-inspiring vastness of the cosmos, resulting in paintings that are at once sensuous, mysterious, and transcendent.
Tarrant has exhibited widely, including in London at the Royal Academy of Arts, Saatchi Gallery, and Oxo Gallery; in New York at Beggars Banquet; in Ireland at Farmleigh House, Áras an Chontae, and Cill Rialaig; and in Northern Ireland at the Naughton Gallery and Linen Hall Library.
His work has been featured by the BBC, Artlyst, FAD Magazine, Design Week, and Artists & Illustrators. Alongside his artistic career, Tarrant is also a curator and arts advocate, profiled in the New York Times, Financial Times, Guardian, and Time magazine for his role in championing London’s cultural heritage. He is also recognised for his work promoting LGBT+ artists and communities, including through initiatives such as the Winter Pride Art Awards.
Consuelo Child-Villiers
Born to an English Father and Italian/Spanish Mother. Consuelo trained at the Accademia di Belle Arti in Florence, Italy where she studied Sculpture and Painting, followed by History of Art at Christies Fine Arts in London. Consuelo has exhibited her work extensively in London, New York, Italy and the South of France. Her work has been acquired by various private collectors throughout Europe and the US.
Though she chooses to investigate a magical dream-like world, there is nothing mellow or whimsical in Consuelo's style.
"Consuelo is a long established Artist who free falls into a World of her own, no net, independent. Figures, creatures, objects and their secrets dwell in her vision, which is both playful and serious. Consuelo's medium of expression is colour, colour as material fact, communication and soul-song in paint" - Guislaine de Damas
Consuelo Child-Villiers stands as a vital voice in figurative art, blending classical influences with boundary-pushing techniques across multiple mediums. Her work not only reflects her vivid imagination but also resonates deeply with audiences worldwide, offering them the freedom to interpret and connect on their terms. - Art Rewards Gallery, Oslo
Simon and Consuelo extend their thanks to the sponsors of their exhibition, 52 Partners, McDermott Will & Schulte and Ascendant Fox.
