NO GRIT, NO PEARL:

Paintings of the sea and sky created from a place of love and loss

Welcome to No Grit, No Pearl  an exhibition of paintings by Brighton artist Sophie Abbott. Across two floors of the Grade I listed building, Abbott took us on a journey through her joyous life affirming paintings. This unique exhibition showcased paintings made over the last two years, since the sudden loss of her mother.

No Grit, No Pearl dives into life’s most profound challenges, exploring the beauty that can emerge from the toughest of circumstances. Each ‘painted memory’ demonstrates Abbott’s connection to the natural world, and the role it has played in her healing journey. 

The exhibition was split across two floors, the first showcasing a series of paintings of vibrant pink skies. This immersive colour-field has been curated to promote feelings of calm, love and healing in the observer. Speaking of the inspiration behind these works, Abbott reveals: 

“On my last holiday with my Mum we had these amazing pink skies. After she died, I couldn’t control it - these skies were all I wanted to paint, which seemed the complete opposite of what I was feeling emotionally at the time. What was emerging in the painting was this desire to create something beautiful out of something really challenging.”

Complemented by sea views from the Regency Townhouse, the second floor of the exhibition featured paintings created after immersing herself in the sea, the island of Menorca, and witnessing the waterways of Venice. These works evoke Abbott’s ritual of returning to the water for clarity, inspiration and connecting to life itself. 

“I go to the sea to immerse myself in nature, to recalibrate my brain, and to be in the moment. Getting in the sea, you experience both pleasure and discomfort, but nothing else matters. It’s when I feel the most alive. These paintings celebrate the power of nature and the glimmers of hope, through their luminous and layered colourfields.”