THE SKY IS DREAMING by Lewis Deeney

The UK’s ‘Highest Ever Painting’ will be on display at Fire Station Creative in the upcoming exhibition, ‘The Sky is Dreaming’.

Multi-award-winning contemporary artist Lewis Deeney will showcase his latest series of paintings inspired by Scotland’s Celtic history. By uniting Celtic design with modern art practices including laser cutting, this exhibition will bring historic culture into the present day.

For the young artist, the geometric complexity of Celtic art is a large source of his inspiration. “It’s mesmerising,” states Deeney. “I am proud to continue the tradition, breathing fresh life into art of the past and expressing it in a new way.”

After graduating with first class honours for Contemporary Art Practice at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in 2020, Deeney went on to complete an MFA in Art & Humanities the following year. His degree show exhibit one him notable prizes including the James Guthrie Orchar Memorial Prize, the Farquar Reid Trust Prize as well as the Freelands Painting Prize. Since then, his art has been exhibited throughout the UK as well as France, with select solo shows across Scotland.

One such show, ‘Becoming’, was hosted at Fire Station Creative back in 2022. Two years on, Deeney brings his latest works to the same venue. “I love the gallery,” he says. “It’s a wonderful space, and I’m excited to be coming back. The last show was a culmination of a few years’ worth of work, mostly created as a student, but this time is different. The exhibition has a specific theme, and largely all new work created for it.”

A notable component within the show will be his recent production of the UK’s ‘Highest Ever Painting’. Despite icy weather conditions, the artist hiked over 1,300 metres to peak of Ben Nevis, with the creation in hand. The painting was displayed at the summit, being the tallest possible height for a painting to be exhibited in the UK.

“It seemed a bizarre and fun thing to do,” he says, “and it connected to the exhibition’s theme.” For Deeney, the title, ‘The Sky is Dreaming”, is drawn directly from Celtic beliefs surrounding animism: the theory that objects of the natural world have their own unique souls. By directly connecting his work to the forces of nature, Deeney encourages a revival of Scotland’s ancient partnership between art and spirit.

“The more art, in all its formats, that is created and shared, the better the world will become. It makes us question our assumptions, both of the world and of ourselves, and connects us with something larger and deeper. It gives us a glimpse of a more beautiful world.”

The exhibition will be open to the public from Friday July 5th until Sunday July 28th.