
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)
Central Saint Martins
(Foundation Diploma in Art and Design)