Chichester’s newest contemporary art gallery, Julian Page Projects, continues its inaugural season with a powerful solo exhibition by Marcus Rees Roberts.

Spokeswoman Holly Fox-Lee said: “This Dark Shore brings together a body of paintings, etchings, and artists books that draw deeply from classical literature, personal memory, and a lifelong fascination with the borderlands between beauty and terror.

“Dante's Inferno and Homer's Odyssey are two classic texts that have informed the artist's practice and the works in this show. The title of this show comes from the Odyssey. In Book XI, Odysseus crosses that same river to the underworld and encounters a dead colleague. He asks: "How art thou come to this dark shore?" Homer describes the Styx as wide, fast flowing, and dangerous. It might be The English Channel.”

Marcus Rees Roberts: This Dark Shore runs from September 11-November 1.

Holly added: “Roberts is a distinguished painter, printmaker and educator. His art often explores themes of loss, despair, and exile, drawing inspiration from the writings of authors persecuted by fascism. His work is held in major collections including Tate, the British Museum, The V&A, Pallant House, The Ashmolean, and The Fitzwilliam Museum. He was a lecturer at Edinburgh College of Art from 1980 to 1995, serving as the Head of Printmaking from 1989. He also held visiting professorships and fellowships at institutions in the US and France. He taught at West Dean College from 2004-2016. Known for his layered, narrative-driven approach, he frequently engages with literary and historical sources, weaving them into complex visual meditations on mortality, memory, and myth.

“The exhibition will be accompanied by an In Conversation event with Marcus Rees Roberts in October, further advancing Julian Page Projects’ mission to cultivate a vibrant contemporary art programme in West Sussex and to encourage deeper public engagement with art. There will also be a new print made especially for the show available to purchase during the exhibition, with all proceeds going to charity.”

Julian Page Projects, 12 Northgate, Chichester, PO19 1BA; www.julianpage.co.uk. Opening hours: Monday to Wednesday: by appointment; Thursday & Friday: 11am–4pm; Saturday: 11am–2pm; Sunday: closed. Gallery closed September 23-27.