A selection of paintings and sculpture from acclaimed British artist Kurt Jackson’s different river projects will go on display at the Horniman Museum and Gardens in Forest Hill, south London from Saturday 29 November 2014.

Bringing together work from the last three decades, Kurt Jackson: River includes paintings of the Thames, the Dart, the Avon and the Tamar and features a number of very large plein-air canvases – each up to three and a half metres - as well as documentary film footage of the works in progress on the river bank. Smaller, more intimate pieces and the sketchbooks from each project will also be shown alongside ceramics, print making, sculpture and jewellery.

Kurt Jackson says: ‘As part of my working practice I’ve completed many projects about rivers in this country, Africa, Europe, Asia and the Americas. To follow a river from its source as it grows and changes, erodes and meanders, evolving itself and the land; this is not just a journey, getting to know the river itself, but is also about discovering and understanding the host country, the history, people, culture and wildlife. The river becomes a metaphor for life itself. This exhibition is a diverse selection, a retrospective of paintings and other works representing those different rivers from the past three decades.’

Jo Hatton, Keeper of Natural History at the Horniman Museum and Gardens says: ‘We’re thrilled to be showcasing the work of Kurt Jackson. It’s easy to take rivers and the people and wildlife that depend upon them for granted, forgetting what special and fascinating forces of nature they really are. Kurt Jackson captures the very essence, mood and character of these beautiful, yet increasingly threatened places – often right on our doorsteps, ensuring that we view the world around us with renewed interest and awe.’

Born in Blandford, Dorset, Jackson graduated from St Peter’s College, Oxford with a degree in Zoology. During his time studying he painted and attended courses at Ruskin College of Art, Oxford. On gaining his degree, Jackson travelled extensively, painting wherever he went. His travels gave him a broad experience of other environments and cultures which has influenced his work.

Jackson has been Artist in Residence on the Greenpeace ship Esperanza, at the Eden Project and at Glastonbury Festival since 1999. An ambassador for Survival International, Jackson frequently works with Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and Cornwall Wildlife Trust. He has lived and worked in west Cornwall since 1984.

For more information about the artist visit: www.kurtjackson.com