Dale Lewis
Nights and Weekends
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 16 - June 21st, 2025
KDR is thrilled to present a solo exhibition of new work by British artist Dale Lewis, on view from May 16th to June 21st, 2025. Dale Lewis's practice is a profoundly personal exploration of his East London environment and British historical narratives, wherein his figurative paintings for "Nights and Weekends" examine the contrast between urban existence and natural refuge—unfolding as intimate reflections on history, mythology, and contemporary life.
The exhibition's largest centerpiece, London Bridge, reimagines the ancient British queen Boudicca within the mystical setting of Epping Forest near where Lewis currently resides. Known for leading the Iceni rebellion against the Romans in 60/61 CE and now recognized as a powerful female icon of British national heritage, Boudicca is transformed in Lewis's painting. The composition pays homage to John Everett Millais's iconic "Ophelia" and Francesco Clemente's portrait of Jerry Hall while subverting the traditional "reclining nude" motif. Lewis presents Boudicca as Mother Nature herself, surrounded by symbolic elements: grazing cows, mythical green men, a blood-red moon embodying Emperor Nero, and heartfelt carvings on birch trees signifying a loving memory. The painting stands as what Lewis describes as "a visual meditation on my sanctuary, where art-making and nature provide refuge from the overwhelming anxieties of our contemporary world.”
In Charing Cross Road, a smaller, dreamlike blue-toned painting, Lewis captures a central London bus stop where ballet dancers wait after Royal Opera House rehearsals. The cool palette evokes urban isolation while including iconic London imagery—a Trafalgar Square lion, Admiral Lord Nelson, and Big Ben silhouetted against the background. Lewis notes that the dancers "are obviously stars when performing on the stage, but when off it, like all of us, become absorbed into the crowds." Through these works, Lewis invites viewers to experience the tension between public persona and private existence, between historical weight and contemporary reality.
Dale Lewis's practice is rooted in narrative figuration, fusing the everyday with the mythic to create expansive, cinematic tableaux that blur autobiography, social commentary, and historical memory. Integral to his practice he anchors the primacy of drawing before translating to painting, Lewis distills from personal encounters, folklore, and the shifting dynamics of British identity to build densely layered scenes that feel surreal and familiar. Nights and Weekends exemplifies this approach, offering a profoundly human and occasionally irreverent lens on cultural legacy, vulnerability, and escape. The exhibition captures Lewis at a pivotal moment—his vision sharpened, his storytelling more urgent— where myth and modernity collide in paint.
Dale Lewis (b. 1980) completed a BA in Fine Art at London Guildhall in 2002, an MFA at Brighton in 2006 and graduated from the Turps Studio Programme in 2015. Recent solo exhibitions include The Great Day, Art Matters, Hangzhou, China (2024); Sweet and Sour, Choi Choi Gallery, Seoul, South Korea (2023); No Place Like Home, Block 336, London, UK (2021); The Great Day, Edel Assanti, London, UK (2020); Free Range, Nino Mier Gallery, Los Angeles, USA (2019) and Fat, Sugar, Salt, Edel Assanti, London, UK (2018). Recent group exhibitions include Happy & Glorious: Coronation Commissions from the Government Art Collection, The National Archives, London, UK (2025); The Day I Saw You, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo Querétaro MACQ, Santiago de Querétaro, Mexico (2023) and Friends and Friends of Friends, Schlossmuseum, Linz, Austria (2020). In 2021 Lewis' permanent 8 metre high mural was unveiled at Picturehouse's newest central London cinema. Lewis was the recipient of the 2016 Jerwood Painting Fellowship. His work is in international collections including The Arsenal, Montreal, Canada; By Art Matters, Hangzhou, China; David Roberts Art Foundation, London, UK; Fundacion AMMA, Mexico; Government Art Collection, London, UK; Hort Foundation, New York, USA and Zabludowicz Collection, London, UK. Dale Lewis lives and works in London.
For images and information regarding works in the exhibition, please contact katia@kdr305.com or lauren@kdr305.com.
Image: Dale Lewis, London Bridge, 2025, Oil on canvas, 78.75 x 118.125 in.
