Born in Manchester in 1954, Tobit Roche's artistic career spans continents, weaving a trail of influences from Britain, Canada, and India during his formative years. 

 

A graduate of the Ontario College of Art in Toronto, he immersed himself in the artistic realm under the mentorship of family friend Duncan Grant at Charleston, E Sussex, before honing his skills at the venerated Camberwell School of Art.

 

Tobit splits his time between London's dynamic streets, St Leonards' coastal tranquillity, and India's vibrant landscapes.

 

Tobits' creative practice is a visceral exploration, transcending the very act of observation to encapsulate the essence of the moment – a weaving of weather, light, sky, temperature, and the elusive element of time.

 

He creates glimpses into ephemeral moments within landscapes. They become the alchemical ingredients for his larger studio paintings, where memory intertwines with imagination. 

 

With deft strokes, Tobit manipulates paint using both brush and hands, creating layers that gradually unveil the subject's soul. More spiritual journey than an artistic endeavour, this process immerses the viewer in a sublime experience, where time becomes a collaborator, shaping emotions and subconscious impressions.

 

Upon returning to his London studio, Tobit's creativity transforms these memories into expansive canvases. The Himalayas transcend immediate accuracy here, evolving slowly over weeks and months. Each layer of pigment and texture contributes to a dreamlike abstraction—ranges of ridgelines delicately held by clouds and valleys. Far from the swift lines of his plein air sketches, Tobit's studio paintings acquire the polished depth of lacquer, casting the light upon the mountains in the luminous glow of varnished gold.

 

 

By Paul Robinson

Founder of Artlyst

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Solo Exhibitions

2023 'Magic Mountains', The Art Stable, Dorset
2022 ‘Sea & Sky’, The Art Stable, Dorset
2022 En Plein Air Exhibition, Rye Art Gallery
2019 Indar Pasricha Fine Arts, London
2015 Abstracts at Kelly Ross Fine Art, Dorset
2014 Indar Pasricha Fine Arts, London
2012 The Art Stable, Dorset
2010 The Art Stable, Dorset
2008 The Art Stable, Dorset
2005 Summerleaze Gallery, Wiltshire
2005 Sarah Myerscough Gallery, London
2003 Sarah Myerscough Gallery, London
2002 Sarah Myerscough Gallery, London
2001 Maas Gallery, London
1999 Maas Gallery, London
1997 Maas Gallery, London
1993 Vipasha Gallery, Masons Yard, London
1989 Vipasha Gallery, Masons Yard, London
1987 Leighton House, London
1985 Sue Rankin Gallery, London
1983 Carmichael Fine Art, London

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​Selected Group Exhibitions

2022 Armani/Casa, curated by Nick Vinson
2022 Memo Exhibition, Rye Art Gallery, East Sussex

2021 Out of Thin Air: Three Artists Paint the Himalayas, Royal Geographical Society, London
2020 Grosvenor Gallery, London
2019 Nicole Farhi and Friends: Baker Mamonova Gallery, Hastings
2018 British High Commission, New Delhi
2018 The Art Stable, Dorset
2018 Knight-Webb Gallery, Brixton
2016 Moncrieff-Bray Gallery, The Magic of India, Petworth
2015 40 Years of Painting, Camberwell Students and Teachers, 1945-1985, Belgrave St. Ives Gallery
2015 Himalayan Images and Soundscapes, 7th Mussoorie Writers' Mountain Festival, Mussoorie
2013 Knight-Webb Gallery, Brixton
2012 The Art Stable, Dorset
2012 The Eastbourne Open, The Towner Gallery, April
2012 Art London, Sarah Myerscough Fine Art
2010 British High Collision, New Delhi, 25 Years of British Artists Painting in India
2010 Contemporary British Art, The Millinery Works Gallery, Islington
2009 A Blast of Colour, Sussex in the Summer, Moncrieff-Bray Gallery, Petworth
2009 Ludlow Art Fair, Shropshire
2009 Contemporary British Art, The Millinery Works Gallery, Islington
2008 Tobit Roche Landscapes, The Art Stable, Dorset
2008 Ludlow Art Fair, Shropshire
2008 Group show, Moncrieff-Bray Gallery, Petworth West Sussex
2007 London Contemporary Art Fair, Islington (Sarah Myerscough Gallery and Wilson Stephens Fine Art)
2006 Toronto International Art Fair, Canada (Sarah Myerscough Gallery)
2006 Paintings of Hambledon Hill, The Art Stable, Dorset
2006 C20th Art Fair, Royal College of Art, London (Wilson Stephens Fine Art)
2006 London Contemporary Art Fair, Islington (Sarah Myerscough Gallery)
2005 London Contemporary Art Fair, Islington (Sarah Myerscough Gallery)
2004 C20th Art Fair, Royal College of Art, London (Wilson Stephens Fine Art)
2004 Summerleaze Gallery, Wiltshire
2004 Art London, Chelsea (Sarah Myerscough Gallery)
2004 London Contemporary Art Fair, Islington (Sarah Myerscough Gallery)
2003 Sarah Myerscough Gallery, London
2002 Fine Art and Antiques Fair, Olympia, London (Maas Gallery)
2000 ‘Discerning Eye’ Exhibition, Mall Galleries, London
1998 ‘Holding the Light’, Harewood House, Leeds
1994 Arts Asia Show, London
1985 International Contemporary Art Fair, Olympia, London
1983 Langton Gallery, London
1982 Federation of British Artists, Mall Galleries, London