Cadogan Gallery, London is delighted to announce a striking new exhibition of Richard Zinon, titled Peut Être, in the gallery’s new flagship space in Belgravia. Opening on 13 February and running until 29 March 2025, Zinon draws inspiration from his recent move to Brittany, France and presents an ambitious new body of work that explores themes of self-reflection, temporality, and the profound emotional depth of his creative process.
Since settling in the coastal hamlet of Kerégal, Brittany, in September 2024, Zinon has embraced a solitary yet rhythmic existence, immersing himself in an environment that mirrors his nature. His studio, a centuries-old chapel perched atop windswept cliffs, becomes a sanctuary where the interplay of light and shadow shapes his creative process. Each day begins with a meditative walk, grounding him in rituals that reflect his reverence for creation. From handcrafting wooden frames of English oak to stretching canvases from Flanders’ oldest mill, every step is deliberate and precise. Though his works are not directly inspired by his surroundings, the wild landscapes, steep paths overlooking the sea, vivid light, and tranquil expanses of Kerégal resonate deeply, offering him a profound sense of freedom and harmony that fuels his art.
Experiencing Zinon’s work is akin to entering a sacred space, where each painting reveals itself as a quiet yet powerful universe. In his chapel studio, Zinon captures the essence of place and spirit, infusing his latest body of work with introspective, spiritually charged fleeting states of mind and raw emotional moments. His emphasis on the mark itself, balanced with layered warm earth tones and subtle colour combinations, allows the pieces to quietly exist in the shadows, inviting viewers into a contemplative experience that uncovers the beauty in their intricate compositions.
“I don’t want my work to represent anything specific—it’s about the feeling behind it,” Zinon explains. “This body of work is evidence of a state of mind, created with an intentional directness that speaks to the immediacy of the moment.”
I don’t want my work to represent anything specific—it’s about the feeling behind it.
Richard Zinon
For an artist who engages his entire body in the act of painting, Zinon is committed to pushing beyond his own limits. This is not for scale but rather the pursuit of an infinite path and a journey inward. His process involves building canvases over weeks or months with thin oil layers, creating depth reminiscent of aged paper. His work explores contrasts of colour, the depth of planes, and the ephemeral traces of creation. Using rich tones like reddish-brown, dark brown, golden brown, and linen white, Zinon navigates each canvas with intuitive precision, erasing and redefining marks as needed. Blending pigments into rich, resonant tones, his meticulous preparations create a palpable tension that finds release in the act of painting—a transformative moment where precision meets raw expression. Then, he waits, trusting the pigments to rise and the oils to reorganise, allowing the composition to fully emerge.
“This is an ambitious exhibition in both scale and vision,” says Freddie Burness, Director of Cadogan Gallery. “The care and precision in crafting the works, coupled with the contextual elements we’re presenting, make this a deeply moving and comprehensive exploration of Richard Zinon’s current artistic journey.”
Collaborating with acclaimed French writer Adeline Mace, a reflective essay will accompany the exhibition, providing an intimate perspective on the works and their creation.
Text by Adeline Mace.
© Text and Photo courtesy of Cadogan Gallery
