Behind each brushstroke of Oakley’s paintings is an inspiring story which just keeps getting more extraordinary.
The Pinner resident’s journey began while studying art at school. He was “going through a lot of anxiety leading up to exams and art was the only subject I was confident and comfortable in”.
Finding art as a way to process his emotions, Oakley explained: “It was very therapeutic being able to explore and be creative for a whole hour.”
He hopes his artwork “shows people that it is okay to talk about their feelings and to express their hopes, fears and anxieties in a positive way”.
Since exhibiting his artwork at Westfield in collaboration with John Lewis & Partners in October last year, Oakley has continued to redefine the art scene one sketch at a time.
At the end of October, he was invited back to John Lewis to do a second exhibition and was also approached to conduct live art sessions at the BBC Television Centre.
Speaking to Pinnernews about the experience of live painting, Oakley said: “When people were walking past, I tried to avoid eye contact, but people were mindblown and stopped to ask me about my work. I incorporated the comments and what I could see visually around me into the art piece.”
Oakley applied to take part in the Transcendence exhibition presented by the Boomer Gallery. Out of more than 1,800 applicants, he was one of only 94 selected.
His signature pieces, Epitome and Still Living, Still Life, were launched in a glitzy champagne and caviar event on Friday, March 14, at the London gallery.
Speaking to Pinnernews, Oakley said: “It was a very great turnout and great fun and was something that I hadn’t really done before.”
Keep up to date with Oakley’s journey on his website at www.oakleysmind.com
0 Comments