Biography

Kevin Pearsh was born in 1951 in Melbourne, Australia and has lived in France for over 30 years. Before moving to London in 1972, he attended fine art school in Perth and later lived in Zurich. By the age of twenty-five, Pearsh already had works within the permanent collections of the Tate Gallery. He continued to live and work in London until 1983.

In 1982 Kevin was commissioned by American diplomat Robert H. Thayer to paint his 12th century chateau in Burgundy, France thus introducing Mr. Pearsh to the region that would become his artistic base, and place of residence.

While visiting Tasmania in the early 1990's Kevin was inspired by the power and beauty of the island's unique waterfalls. A phase of work resulted where water becomes the catalyst combining elements of luminosity and serenity.

In addition to the Tate Gallery, works by Kevin Pearsh can be found in the permanent collections of the Fitzwilliam Museum Cambridge and the Santa Barbara Museum in California as well in numerous private collections throughout the world.

From the start of the new millennium through to the end of 2005, Kevin developed a series focusing on water, influenced by visits to China, India, and Morocco. These works are infused with an intuitive perception of light and reflection. Regular travelling throughout India has heavily influenced the artist’s palette of colours and resulted in several projects for Air India.

From 2006 to 2009, Kevin Pearsh produced a collection of 21 large format oil-on-canvas works depicting the inner character of the Ganges River. These works highlight geographical features and illustrate a pilgrimage along the entire length of the river. The artist journeyed by foot, boat, and land vehicle from the river's source within the ice cave of Gaumukh in the Himalayas to the Bay of Bengal delta.

In 2010, the first "Ganges 21" collection of oil paintings was inaugurated and exhibited under the high patronage of the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) - at the Azad Bhavan Art Gallery in Delhi. The exhibit then travelled between 2011 and 2013, including shows at the Rabindranath Tagore Centre in Kolkata, and the Bharat Kala Bhavan Gallery of the prestigious Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi.

Upon return to Europe from India, the Ganga21 collection was exhibited at the Birmingham Museums and Art Gallery in November 2013.

In 2014, Pearsh moved his Burgundian artistic operations to a new atelier located in 400m2 of industrial studio space allowing work on larger-scale paintings and exploration into sculpture and art installations.

2016 saw a return to his native Australia, as well as a trip to India and revisiting of the Islands of Kahalgaon on the Ganges in the State of Bihar, which resulted in the development of a new series of watercolours and oils.

During 2017 and 2018, Kevin continued traveling, while developing and refining his technique of painting reflections in both oil and watercolour on various new materials. This led to the creation of freestanding metal Totem Works designed as indoor or outdoor sculptural features for private residences, public parks and art installations.

2019 to 2022 saw Mr. Pearsh expanding his Totem Works and other painting series while traveling throughout Europe and the USA to nourish inspiration. In September 2020, a two-year solo exhibition of 13 totems was inaugurated in Burgundy, at the Chateau de Commarin by His Excellency, Mr. Brendan Berne, Ambassador from Australia to France.

From May to September 2022, works were also part of a group exhibition in Pesmes, France, where 3 of the artist’s most colourful totems were installed in the flowing water of the Ognon River, resulting in a remarkable play of vibrant reflections.

Early 2023 sees Pearsh’s work featured in a group exhibition in Paris, at the Patronage Laïque Jules Vallès, presenting a selection of works from his collection of 12 “Diaries in Colour.”

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