NEILL WRIGHT - We Turned Off The Road

In a world marked by chaos and uncertainty, Johannesburg-based artist Neill Wright is offering something of a reprieve: a vivid, immersive escape into landscapes and still lifes that shimmer with surreal beauty.

His latest body of work invites viewers to pause, reflect, and walk through imaginary vistas framed by blossoms, textures, and dreamlike hues. “It’s about arrival,” Wright says. “That moment when you feel like you’ve stumbled upon something—an unexpected view, framed perfectly, like a visual exhale.”

It’s unsurprising that the work he creates in his peaceful, sun-drenched downtown studio speaks softly but powerfully of escapism. It’s a theme that runs deep in his practice, both in the way he creates and in the worlds he constructs. “External chaos affects me more than I’d like to admit,” he explains. “Geopolitics, the state of things—it’s like a car crash you can’t help but look at. So, the studio became my place to look away, to build something beautiful instead.”

These meticulously crafted works begin with layers of hand-prepared canvas—spray-painted, rolled, brushed, and sanded—until the material takes on the feel of leather: smooth, yet richly textured. “There’s something corrosive about the surfaces,” Wright says, motioning at the details, “like they’ve been touched by time. I love that.”

His process, he notes, is like printmaking—another medium he has worked in—where results can be unpredictable and “happy accidents” often guide the outcome. A sanded corner reveals a streak of blue; a drip creates an unexpected depth. “There’s a thrill in the unknown,” Wright says. “You think you know what it’ll look like, but the work always surprises you.”

While his imagined landscapes are born from real photographs or memory, they are wholly transformed through intuition and imagination. “I’m essentially creating places I’d love to stumble across,” he explains. “Then I build them—from the ground up. I decide what foliage goes where, what colours feel right.”

Colour is key to Wright’s realm. Even when he attempts restraint, it never quite sticks. “Subdued just isn’t me,” he laughs. “I’m drawn to bright, discordant, electric palettes. They resonate. Everyone connects with colour. Everyone loves flowers.”

This connection is central to his upcoming show, which features 14 works, including a bronze sculpture—his only one in the series. “I chose sunflowers for one of the floral pieces. I love their symbolism: they’re resilient, they follow the sun. Qualities we all need.”

Despite the lush, often kaleidoscopic visuals, there’s a deep discipline behind Wright’s approach. His studio is a finely tuned machine: canvases are primed and sanded, stencils meticulously planned, and colours tested and cured under heat lamps to ensure just the right surface finish. “There’s a lot of science to it,” he says. “It might look playful, but it’s incredibly technical.”

Yet even within this structure, Wright finds space to play. “Cutting is meditative. I’ll do it at night while watching TV,” he says. “And the titles—I love hinting at something personal without being too literal.” Even the title of the show—We Turned Off the Road—is open-ended. A pause. A detour. “There aren’t people in these works, but you can imagine coming upon these spots while travelling,” he says.

Wright’s connection to nature runs deep, and his love for the natural world is both nostalgic and spiritual. “Those places gave me a sense of refuge,” he says. “Now the studio gives me the same feeling. Safe, contained, creative.”

It’s evident that Wright’s influences range from Japanese woodblock printing to street art, from Matisse to modern collage—but he has combined them to create works that are uniquely his own, in a style that continues to evolve. “There’s a bit of surrealism creeping in,” he hints. “A touch of humour, a bit of the unexpected.” They are bursts of respite and joy—something we could all do with right now.

For enquiries please contact gallery@everard.co.za