Julian Le Bas

Born in 1958, Julian Le Bas is a contemporary master of plein air painting and drawing. His oil paintings and robust charcoal drawings re-awaken a sense of our presence and emotional involvement in the natural world. The process of drawing or painting from observation envelops his landscapes in the nuances of light rolling across the Sussex Downs. He was tutored at Brighton Polytechnic by Dennis Creffield - who was a pupil of David Bomberg and fellow member of the Borough Group - and so Julian continues the practice of bringing weight and volume into light and space. Julian’s work is widely collected and his artworks are held in public art collections: Towner Gallery, Hove Museum & Art Gallery, South East Arts Collection. Exhibitions include Jerwood Prize Touring Exhibition. ‘I am inspired by the natural world, and seek to convey its essence of form and light. By working directly within the landscape, I aim to deepen my emotional connection with it.’ Julian Le Bas, January 2020

‘Plein air painting on a large scale has heightened my sense of involvement. My use of colour is instrumental in expressing my feelings about form and light within the landscape. Inspired by some new subjects, a shift in my work has transpired.’

Julian Le Bas 2023

‘Julian Le Bas is a painter, perhaps the contemporary painter, of the Sussex section of the South Downs. His work bears witness to this characteristically splendid and captivating geography of chalk hills, meadows, woodland and the adjoining coastline. What lessons we might learn from his life-long project is that every day and every scene presents a seemingly revived landscape offering a new vista, and a fresh encounter. Le Bas’s paintings celebrate, exalt and revere the various locations and unequivocally express awe at the natural world. The role of shamanic consort, expressing the elevating metaphysical aspect of the everyday through the ordinarily magical presence of the landscape is his task.’ [read the full text here]

Geoff Hands 2023