Olly French’s latest exhibition that opened in early September at the Arches gallery located at Aberfoyle Lodge brings together decades of memories introspections and experiences, woven into a body of work that speaks to the core of shared human experience.
Set in the breathtaking Honde Valley, Aberfoyle Lodge is surrounded by lush tea plantations, winding rivers and riparian forest, creating a serene haven for visitors. Here, the architectural marvel of Arches, with its sweeping views of the surrounding mountains and golf course, adds an exceptional backdrop to the emotional and nostalgic depth of French’s work.
Born in Cape Town and raised in Zimbabwe, French’s artistic journey took him from the esteemed Michaelis School of Fine Art in Cape Town back to Zimbabwe, where he has contributed significantly to the local contemporary art scene.
Over the years, his work has been showcased at the National Gallery of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo, Gallery Delta in Harare and at artHARARE. Now, for the first time, he takes centre stage with a solo exhibition at Arches titled Songs We Used to Sing, marking a milestone in his career and offering viewers a deeply personal exploration of place, memory, and identity.
The Arches gallery, an inviting yet secluded space, has previously housed remarkable exhibitions, including The Stars are Bright from the Cyrene Mission and A Collective Collection, showcasing Helen Lieros’s work.
French’s exhibition builds on this legacy, drawing visitors into an intimate experience that transcends the boundaries of words and symbolism.
His pieces hover in a space between defined reality and ethereal memory, where colours, lines and shapes seem to resonate with the viewer’s own emotions and reflections.
French’s artistic practice taps into universal themes of nostalgia, shared histories, and the delicate intersection of past and present.
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Curator Greg Shaw notes that the layered works evoke a sense of remembering, where the past mingles seamlessly with the present, much like waves perpetually moving across a vast expanse.
In his paintings, memories and experiences resurface, mirroring the ebb and flow of time as they intermingle with the complexities of contemporary Zimbabwean life.
He does not aim for a universal language; rather, his work invites viewers into a non-verbal, introspective dialogue — a glimpse into his unique vision and perhaps, a quiet recognition of our own.
In Songs We Used to Sing, one encounters both harmony and discord, nostalgia and loss.
This is a place where memories are both deeply personal and profoundly collective, a space that asks viewers to reflect on their own journeys. French's brushstrokes and colour fields invite the audience to contemplate their own histories, connecting deeply with the humanity expressed in his works.
As the Arches at Aberfoyle continues to grow as a space of artistic significance, evolving its presence with each new exhibition, French’s work stands as a testament to this progression, leaving visitors with an echo of shared experiences and silent understanding, captured in his profoundly evocative paintings.
This exhibition, then, is more than just an assembly of paintings; it is a shared space — a space for us to remember the songs we used to sing, and in doing so, realise that we are not alone in our memories.
The exhibition runs until early 2025.
