Anglian Abstract celebrates the legacy of modernism in East Anglia through a curated selection of contemporary artists working in abstraction, with Margaret Mellis’ vibrant painting ‘Lilac Yellow’ (Victor Batte-Lay Foundation Collection, Minories) as a focal point. Mellis, born in China and raised in Scotland, immersed herself in modernist movements, particularly during her influential years in St Ives, Cornwall. Her connections with Ben Nicholson, Barbara Hepworth and Naum Gabo shaped her exploration of colour and abstraction.
In addition to Mellis’s work, the exhibition features a variety of artists who interpret abstraction in compelling ways. Simon Carter utilises loose, painterly techniques while Ian Boutell’s careful compositions focus on flat colour planes. Liam Hennessy and Clare Iles enrich the exhibition with their innovative use of wood and found objects, mirroring Mellis’ practice during her time later in life living in Suffolk. Amanda Ansell and Ruth Philo interpret the world around them in contrasting ways, Ansell’s work is a sweeping exploration of natural forms and colour, whereas Philo’s work incorporates tessellation – mirroring shapes and patterns seen in contemporary and historical architecture. The soft nature of thread is challenged by the tight lines of Peter Collingwood’s textile pieces.
Abstract artists often explore the relationship between two and three dimensions, sometimes creating almost optical illusions. Ron Sims’ sharp shapes draw connections between abstraction and architecture, and Molly Thomson’s jutting canvases are a bridge between wall and space. John Plowman’s 3D shapes reimagine the boundaries of drawing and space, inviting viewers to consider the dimensionality of abstraction in new ways.
Together, their practices demonstrate how abstraction remains a vital mode of expression — one that bridges past and present, material and metaphor, grounding modernist heritage in contemporary explorations of environment, emotion, and perception.
Exhibition Dates: Wednesday 7 January – Sunday 22 February 2026
Artists: Margaret Mellis, Amanda Ansell, Ian Boutell, Simon Carter, Liam Hennessy, Clare Iles Ruth Philo, John Plowman, Ron Sims, Molly Thomson.
The Minories
74 High St, Colchester CO1 1UE
Open 10am – 4pm, Wednesday to Sunday
www.theminories.org
Free entry
Supported by East Anglia Art Fund