Peter Heywood was born in Yorkshire in 1944. He taught Physics and Maths and received an award as Britain’s Best Teacher. His life long love has been his painting and he is self-taught.
By the early 1970s Peter had shown paintings at the Paris Spring Exhibition, 2 shows with Aberback fine ART gallery in Saville Row London. Several one man shows in Yorkshire and the Hart Gallery in Nottingham.
In 1995 Peter moved to Cape Town and exhibited in the Everard Read Gallery, The Cape Gallery and the Cheri de Villiers gallery in Johannesburg. In 2000 he moved to Venice for a two year period where he had a one man show with the Holly Snapp gallery.
In 2002 Peter and his twin brother Donald, also a renowned painter, bought an apartment in Malta overlooking the historical and beautiful harbour from where he was inspired to paint Maltese scenes. He held his first one man exhibition at the Carraffa Stores, Birgu and later a one man show at the Casino di Maltese and has had a number of successful exhibitions at Cleland and Souchet, Portomaso. He has also exhibited occasional figurative works at Gallery G in Lija. Peter derives much pleasure and satisfaction from raising money for worthwhile causes in Malta from the sale of his paintings. His painting auctioned at the Malta Charities in London last November raised in excess of 1000.00 pounds.
Although better known as a figurative artist Peter Heywood has always enjoyed working in abstract forms. Influenced by the American abstract expressionists such as Rothko, DeKooning, Klein, Pollock and the Australian artist Fred Williamson Peter works from landscape (often cliff edges and islands) and these works represent the creation and metamorphosis of landscape. The effects are created by applying several layers of colour (acrylic) to achieve subtle tonalities reminiscent of the “oil glaze” techniques of the old masters.
The works can be seen simultaneously as plan views and profiles. There are also indications of “development” or increased activity and possibly human activity (suggestions of walls, boundaries, roads, etc) in some areas as would be seen from the air.
Some of the works are diptych or triptych but each painting should be viewed individually and then as it develops into other works.
This exhibition of Peter Heywood’s new “Abstract” work is being held at Gallery G (no 4, Sir Ugo Mifsud Street, Lija) and will be open until 29 August.
Gallery G’s exhibition halls and Gallery shop are open to the public Monday to Friday between 09:00 hrs and 17:00 hrs.
Contact details: 2142-1984 / 5
E-mail Address: [email protected]