Press Release

Kirsty Harris

There will come soft rains 

CHARLIE SMITH LONDON 

Gramercy Park Studios, 25 Great Pulteney Street, Soho, London W1F 9ND

Friday 14 February – Friday 14 March 2025

Monday – Friday 10am-5pm

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Charlie Smith London presents the debut solo exhibition of British artist Kirsty Harris at Gramercy Park Studios in Soho, London.

Harris paints one of the most devastating and iconic human-made phenomena: the detonation of an atomic bomb. Often working at scale, Harris confronts her audience with a vision of awe and beauty. Mushroom clouds hang over desolate expanses of desert, provoking contemplation at the intersection of humanity, brutality, technology, and nature.

Her practice is meticulous; Harris’ paintings are informed by deep research, and her arduous process is reflected in depictions of a split-second event that can take months to complete. She continually dissects her own complicated relationship with the subject of the atom bomb and navigates the tension of the desolate beauty of landscape against the violent event that scars and transforms it.

“We all know that beauty doesn’t have a moral duty to be inherently good. It’s something I think about, the push and pull of awe.”

Recognising the sublime underpinning within her practice, Harris embraces the paradox at its centre—tender, seductive paintings that depict events which have horrific implications for the natural world, including humankind.

Harris’ relationship with the subject is deep-seated, arising from fervent childhood memories. She recalls “the anticipation of piling onto a coach that ended up somewhere wet and cold, waving my homemade banner, singing and chanting at CND protests. We collected badges and leaflets, and the atmosphere was potent and thrilling”.

Informed by these pivotal formative experiences, her enduring exploration of atomic explosions as powerful cultural, historical, and political symbols continues to resonate profoundly in an era of persistent global instability.

For artwork list email direct@charliesmithlondon.com

About Kirsty Harris:
Kirsty Harris (b. 1978) was raised in Yorkshire, UK and is an artist and curator based at Chisenhale Studios in east London. She graduated from Cass School of Art in 2001 and has worked part time as an artist assistant to Fiona Banner aka The Vanity Press since 2012.
Kirsty is a member of Contemporary British Painting and on the steering committee for Broken Grey Wires, an arts and mental health organisation in the north of England. She is also co-founder of the curatorial and artist networking platform Come Quick Disaster (with Henrietta Armstrong).
Harris has exhibited widely in public and commercial galleries including Saatchi Gallery, Royal Academy of Arts, Mall Galleries, Newcastle Arts Centre, Barbican Arts Trust, Ruskin Gallery, Huddersfield Art Gallery, Tremenheere Gallery, Cello Factory, ASC Gallery, APT Gallery, Vane, Collyer Bristow, Transition Gallery & CHARLIE SMITH LONDON.
Her work is held in public collections including the National Atomic Testing Museum, Nevada, USA and The Peace Museum, Shipley, UK.

The event will take place at Gramercy Park Studios, 25 Great Pulteney Street, Soho, London W1F 9ND. 

Available to view Monday-Friday 10am-5pm, no appointment necessary.

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For further information and a price list, please contact direct@charliesmithlondon.com.