October Gallery in London is set to present a significant solo exhibition dedicated to the work of Aubrey Williams. Titled “Elemental Force,” the show delves into the artist’s distinctive painterly techniques and highly individual approach to abstraction, featuring key paintings created between the 1960s and 1980s.
Williams’ intense and dynamic canvases reveal a dialogue with a diverse range of artistic influences. Echoes of Abstract Expressionist precursor Arshile Gorky and the Afro-Caribbean cultural references of Wifredo Lam can be discerned, alongside the energetic abstraction of the New York School. Despite these connections, Williams forged a uniquely evolved visual language, making a powerful and original contribution to the landscape of post-war art.
His intuitive grasp of abstraction is evident in the striking and entirely original use of colour across the works on display. The exhibition highlights the breadth of Williams’ thematic interests, which spanned ecology, cosmology, music, and the richness of pre-colonial civilisations. Paintings such as Sun and Earth demonstrate his extraordinary ability to fuse form and colour to luminous effect.
Music was a profound source of inspiration for Williams, particularly the compositions of Dimitri Shostakovich. He developed a concept of “feeling colour” to articulate his process of translating the Russian composer’s symphonies and quartets into visual form. This extensive series is represented in the exhibition, including the ethereal Quartet No 5, opus 92 (Shostakovich series). The power of natural phenomena is captured in large-scale pieces like Time and the Elements, where soft-edged boundaries exemplify his mastery of skilfully applied colour, creating effects of natural dynamics that became a signature element of his personal style.
Born in Guyana, Williams moved to London in the 1950s and became an integral part of the vibrant creative milieu of diasporic writers, artists, and intellectuals. He was a founding member of the influential Caribbean Artists Movement (CAM), established in 1966.
In recent years, Aubrey Williams’ significant contribution to 20th-century British art has gained increasing international recognition. Tate Britain dedicated a room to his abstract works in its 2023-2024 rehang of British art. His paintings have been featured in major exhibitions across Europe and North America, including shows in Lodz, Poland, and currently at The Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth, Texas, alongside Frank Bowling. A major monograph, Aubrey Williams: Art, Histories, Futures, was published last year, further cementing his legacy.
To accompany the exhibition, the gallery will host a talk featuring artist Dr. Hew Locke OBE RA, art historian Dr. Maryam Ohadi-Hamadani, and lecturer Dr. Indie A. Choudhury. They will discuss Williams’ legacy and innovative practice. The talk is scheduled for the evening of Thursday, 29th May, 2025.
The “Aubrey Williams: Elemental Force” exhibition will be on view at October Gallery, 24 Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3AL. Admission is free. The exhibition runs from the 22nd of May to the 26th of July, 2025, with gallery hours from Tuesday to Saturday, 12:30 pm to 5:30 pm. A private view will be held on Wednesday, 21st May, 2025.
