Discovering the light amid the dark nights

RUTH MILLINGTON hopes visitors to a folklore-themed exhibition she has curated will find some winter warmth and a sprinkling of seasonal magic

- @ Ruth Millington is a Birmingham-based art writer and historian

TWENTY West Midlands artists have reframed winter as a time of warmth in an enchanting new exhibition at Solihull’s Courtyard Gallery at The Core. Free to visit, it features seasonal landscapes, folkloric portraits, woven arts and crafts, many of which are for sale.

Lucy Sadova, Natalie Mills and Milly Jackson have showcased traditional folklore through handcrafted, illustrated and painted heroines. Dolls might be small, but these female archetypes are weighted with meaning - as protective guardians and symbols of resilience. Similarly, Crow Dillon-Parkin has been inspired by midwinter traditional figures from Norway and Sweden to create ‘Santa Lucia’ and ‘Lussi, who are both “bringers of light”.

The theme of light is central to this exhibition. There’s beauty to be found in snowy landscapes, icy caverns, woodland walks, and still life scenes painted by Paul Seven, Marta Pieroni, Beth Coutts, Karin O'Sullivan, Gorana Law, Yulia Lisle and Tanya Farrugia.

Many of the artists have played with light’s physical manifestations as well as its metaphorical meanings. As the solstice arrives, darkness crosses our paths, and we can retreat into isolation and loneliness.

For Sam Weeks, winter casts a symbolic shadow, expressed in her evocative series of woodland scenes.