Earth Day exhibition at Liverpool Arts Bar

Works by four Merseyside artists who are all inspired by the natural world goes on display at Liverpool Arts Bar this week.

The free exhibition, curated by Laura McCann and running from April 20-23, marks Earth Day (April 22) which demonstrates support for environmental protection.

Lena - known on Instagram as Lena and the Sea - became disillusioned by her creative practice while still studying for her fine art degree. Soon after graduating she went in a completely new direction and trained as a hairdresser.

It wasn’t until 2018, when as a mum of two she realised she needed another form of self-expression, that she once again turned to her paint brushes. The artist, who regularly swims at Formby beach, soon found her passion for wild swimming was influencing her paintings.

Suzanne Grace studied at Liverpool Art College and UCLAN. Constantly experimenting with new ways to develop her own artistic practice, she takes an active interest in the local arts scene and is also a qualified teacher, zoologist and holds an MA in conservation management, all of which influence her art.

She will be displaying large paintings that depict endangered species.

West Kirby-based Steph Aldwinckle is an abstract artist who is heavily influenced by her surroundings. Her home studio overlooks the beautiful Wirral coastline, and it is this view of the peninsular and the dramatic Welsh Hills that inform her colourful abstract landscapes. For the Earth Day exhibition she is displaying a range of work that illustrates how she’s constantly inspired by the ever-changing appearance of the natural world around her.

And Andreea Mate is a Liverpool-based artist currently studying for an MA in Exhibition Studies at LJMU. Having spent her early childhood in Romania, her work is partly informed by growing up being influenced by two different cultures.

The paintings she is showing at the Earth Day exhibition began during lockdown and were key in supporting her mental wellbeing throughout that time. Depicting different types of wildlife, they function on two levels

The Earth Day exhibition opens at 6pm on April 20 and is at Liverpool Arts Bar in Hope Street until April 23. Art on show will be available to buy.

Top: Artist Lena. Photo by Laura McCann.