Oliver Ballon
Oliver Ballon living his life

About

Oliver Ballon is a painter and maker based in Bristol, UK.

Statement

My work is an ongoing exploration of the emotional landscapes we inhabit. I am fascinated by how our inner emotional states color our perception of the physical world around us, and how the natural environment in turn shapes our emotional responses.

Through abstraction, I seek to capture not just the visual essence of a place or moment, but the emotional resonance it creates. Each painting begins with observations from nature—the way light filters through trees, how water reflects and distorts, the patterns of growth and decay—but evolves through an intuitive process of layering, scraping, and mark-making.

Color is central to my practice. I use bold, vibrant palettes to evoke emotional states, creating visual experiences that invite viewers to connect with their own emotional responses to color and form. Texture adds another dimension, making the invisible tangible and bringing a physical presence to emotional states that are often difficult to articulate.

My hope is that viewers find in my work a space for reflection, a moment of recognition, or perhaps a new way of seeing their own emotional connection to the world around them.

Selected Exhibitions

2023

Precious Postcards, That Gallery

Bristol, UK

2020

Precious Postcards, Hart's

Bristol, UK

2019

The Contraband Collection: Bristol Edition, The Latch

Bristol, UK

Order in the Technicolour Chaos, Paintworks

Bristol, UK

2014

Note to Self, London Graphics Centre

London, UK

2011

Bristol Design Festival, The Old Fire Station

Bristol, UK

2008

Cans Festival, Waterloo Tunnels

London, UK

Education

Central Saint Martins

(BA)

20112014

Central Saint Martins

(Foundation Diploma in Art and Design)

20102011