Oliver Walton is a Shipley-based artist whose work explores the quiet resonance of commonly overlooked scenes in our daily lives. Drawn to the subtle character of the ordinary, his paintings focus on familiar places and moments that often pass unnoticed, using careful observation to slow the gaze of the viewer.

He is interested in the tension between perception and experience — how unassuming, unremarkable moments can feel fragile or revelatory under closer attention. His work subtly disrupts the familiar, inviting viewers to reconsider the significance of their surroundings.

With a background in environmental science, Walton is particularly interested in how nature is perceived and what is considered “natural” within contemporary landscapes. His practice reflects an ongoing inquiry into how we inhabit and relate to our surroundings, and how meaning is shaped by the intersections of environment, human presence, and social context. Walton’s paintings offer understated social commentary and create contemplative spaces that reveal the absurdity and complexity of everyday life.

Exhibiting History

2026

Studio Residency at East Street Arts, Leeds (January- February)

Saltaire Art Gallery - ‘Winter Exhibition’ (November 2025- February 2026)

2025

Solo Exhibition at Bar Remedy, Shipley.

Bradford Art Show, Loading Bay Bradford - ‘Our Turn’ Visual Arts Programme for Bradford 2025 City of Culture.

Sunny Bank Mills, Leeds - ‘Ones to Watch 2025’

Prosaic Project, Sheffield- ‘About Town’

Saltaire Art Gallery - ‘Winter Exhibition’ (February - April 2025)

2024

Saltaire Art Gallery - ‘Winter Exhibition’

Fronteer Gallery, Sheffield - ‘Dwellings and Darkness’