Artist Statement

Cath Dunn is a painter/printmaker inspired by natural forms and a sense of place. Cath’s primary inspiration lies in pattern and abstraction to recreate the movement and rhythm of the land. Landscapes particularly those of the Peak District and Derbyshire, are seen as living entities that continue to change. Using patterns, curves and the rhythms of the land, Cath captures the spirit and her feelings for specific places. Metaphorically and spiritually, the landscape provides a sense of freedom and a connection to the elements.

Cath’s background is in land and the environmental protection. She has worked with communities across Africa to enable local management of natural resources, in the Scottish uplands to identify ways to manage heather for the benefit of farmers and wildlife alike and with communes in central Asia to mitigate against climate change. As with any artist, these experiences build into and influence Cath’s emotional and individual response to the world around her.

Cath works in a variety of mediums – watercolour, oil, acrylic, printmaking techniques and collage. Colour, either vivid or subtle, and influenced by living and working in Africa and Asia for many years, remains central to Cath’s work. She works in situ using sketches, rough photos & written notes before completion in her studio either in Sheffield or in her intermittent studio in Edinburgh.

Cath’s work is in private and public collections both in the UK and in Europe. She has won a number of awards – the Judges’ Award, Buxton Museum and Gallery (2022), Judges’ Prize, Wirksworth Festival (2021) and at the Derby Print Open (2019), and has been shortlisted for the British Open.