C H A R L I E Y A T E S

‘The Scotsman’ Review 2024

Charlie Yates

“Virgin Hotels Edinburgh launch artist-in-residence 'Unicorn Studio' in Old Town turret near Royal Mile”

Charlie Yates is the first Artist in Residence to work at Virgin Hotels Edinburgh. The initiative aims to support and nurture Edinburgh's young, talented, creative community. This marks a significant milestone as it's the first time Virgin Hotels has offered such an opportunity. Additionally, Yates was featured in the ‘Scotsman’ Newspaper, his largest article yet.

As part of this residency, Yates will be painting in the Tower Room at Virgin Hotel for the next three months, immersing himself in this inspiring environment. The work will also be up for sale.

(Link to Scotsman Newspaper article).

https://www.scotsman.com/whats-on/arts-and-entertainment/virgin-hotels-edinburgh-launch-artist-in-residence-unicorn-studio-in-old-town-turret-near-royal-mile-4556651

Kai•ros

"the perfect, delicate, crucial moment; the fleeting rightness of time and place that creates the opportune atmosphere for action, words, or movement."

Charlie’s paintings are windows to moving, memorable and arresting moments in time experienced on his journey through Japan. They reflect and combine the Japanese simplicity and nature with the appreciation of imperfectness, known as ´wabi-sabi`.

The foundation for this body of work is made up by memories of his time spent there and is informed by sketches, photographs and recordings both written and verbal in nature. In combination with recalled experiences and mementos, ´Kairos` embodies many of the pristine moments witnessed in the Zen gardens, temples and forests in Osaka and Kyoto.

With careful consideration of the reciprocal marks nature and art can leave on each other, Charlie has recognised the impossibility on removing nature from the art itself. All paintings in this exhibition show appreciation towards the materials used, amongst others, by purposefully utilising the surface of the wood as a part of the painting itself.

“I selectively choose everything that I am painting onto, not just the paint itself. For my work, I sustainably obtained wood from different sources, for example, slabs of Hinoki wood which I collected from the Fushimi Inari Temple, were used to build the red Torii Japanese gates. Its groove has a fascinating way of presenting itself over the years, leaving a beautiful mark that adds a sense of history to my paintings.”

With the use of a limited colour palette and a technique of removing layers of oil paint with a cloth, Charlie’s paintings are evocative, yet candid and intriguing; they present the captured images as less literal, more so asking for the viewers to interpret and to question what is in front of them.

After winning the Aon Community Art Award 2021, Charlie has been involved in exhibitions with The National Gallery of Scotland, Lyon and Turnbull Auction House (Maggie’s), The Watermill Gallery, where his exhibition was featured in ‘The Times’. Charlie has recently finished a seven week Artist in Residence at Loretto School.

‘THE TIMES’ Review 2022