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Abend Gallery is pleased to present The Poetics of Light, a solo exhibition of recent paintings by UK based artist Jon Doran. Working from moments in the local Cornwall landscape and from still life objects, Doran explores composition, color, and texture in pursuit of a quiet sense of connection and beauty.

Up close, his surfaces are a fragmentary field of scrapes, dashes, and swipes. Viewed from a distance, the marks resolve into a whole that works together to explore the nature of daylight. Quiet misty scenes, from calm rivers to the impending cliffs of Cornwall's north coast, sit alongside intimate still lifes of cups, fruit, and flowers that seek the profound in the ordinary.

The overall feeling is one of calm, meditative, contemplative quietness, with special attention focused on the poetics of light. The Poetics of Light is on view October 16, 2026 – October 31, 2026.

Please join us for the opening reception on Friday, October 16, 2026 from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. The artist will not be in attendance.

A collection of recent paintings by UK based artist Jon Doran. Using moments from the local Cornwall landscape and still life objects, Doran explores abstract painting themes such as composition, colour and texture, in the pursuit of a quiet sense of connection and beauty. His fragmentary application of paint on close inspection consists of scrapes, dashes and swipes, however viewing from a distance, the whole can be seen working together to explore the nature of daylight.

Jon Doran (b. 1991) grew up outside London. After early success exhibiting his paintings, including the young artist award at the Cork Street Open Exhibition in London, he moved to Cornwall in pursuit of the light and wild seas. He studied Fine Art at Falmouth School of Art and classical realism at the Florence Academy of Art. He now paints from his studio by the water, teaches at the renowned Newlyn School of Art, and regularly explores Cornwall with his wife and three daughters.

Doran's oil paintings explore traditional subjects such as landscape, still life, and figurative forms through a disrupted realism. His practice combines contemporary techniques with a classical underpinning in drawing. Surfaces are often marked by scrapes and slashes, yet when viewed from a distance the image resolves as a whole. Through a considered use of color, tone, and the poetics of light, his paintings convey the elusive qualities of the Cornish atmosphere in which he works, pursuing a reflective, contemplative sense of the sublime and moments of peace within the modern age.

"I believe that great art can speak to us on a deep level. On the nature of existence and meaning. I ultimately hope to share a sense of the consolation and coherence I personally experience before beauty, whether it's in front of a view of mist on the water or amidst the impending rocks of the north coast of Cornwall."