Ian Mowforth

Ian Mowforth is a painter whose work explores the shifting relationship between light and colour. From the soft glow of morning to the raking light of afternoon, his paintings capture how illumination reshapes form, casts patterns, and alters atmosphere within both natural and urban landscapes.

Carefully composed and rooted in close observation, Mowforth’s works balance structure with openness. Pathways, reflections, and architectural elements often act as devices to guide the eye, while areas of incompleteness invite the viewer to participate in completing the scene. His process frequently begins with photography, using manipulated images as a springboard for painting, yet always arriving at a language of brushwork that is distinctly his own.

Recent explorations include diptychs that pair unrelated images to create unexpected visual dialogues—sometimes harmonious, sometimes jarring—expanding his investigation into how we perceive and inhabit landscapes.

Mowforth’s career has been marked by notable recognition. He has twice exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, where in 2017 one of his lino cuts was reproduced as a card that went on to sell over 200,000 copies through the RA shop. In 2024, his work attracted the attention of actor Pierce Brosnan, who purchased one of his lino cut prints of a wolfhound, titled 'Woolfy'.