Evelyn Williams

The human condition has been the subject of Evelyn Williams’ (1929-2012) work for over forty years. Her paintings attempt to make visible her inner anguish. She has written, “My work comes from my life, shaped, nourished and determined by events and accidental happenings, misfortunes and relationships … My work will always be introspective. This is me and all I know about. I would like to show how people feel about each other, and describe how they deal with their own personal predicament, but this is groping in the dark.”

Fay Weldon wrote of Evelyn’s work: ‘She was to move easily between sculpture – sometimes in clay, often in wax – I think that pale, plastic substance with its hint of holiness, of reverence, always appealed. On the surface what she gives us are calm, quiet images of people sleeping, embracing, searching each other’s faces for information, gently inclining towards one another – but the underlying tragedy is always there. It’s when she goes into endless repetition of the image that you see it most clearly: one yearning person can touch you, a frame full of a hindered will terrify you. One baby in the sun charms: a thousand streaming from a central sun creates a frightening beauty.’