Clapham’s recent work has been inspired by views of places he has lived in London and Portugal. These paintings explore the sense of how the landscape dominates the everyday experiences of life in these places, united by the common theme of the river.

Two views in particular dominate these current works. Clapham’s studio in central Portugal, where all of these works have been made over the past three years, overlooks the Ceira valley. The density of the mountainous forests contrasts with the views from Clapham’s recent London residence in Canary Wharf, a severe built environment of its high quality of marble, granite, and glass. These two contrasting views have, in their separate ways, both dominated Clapham’s recent lived experience. With canvases divided into full-scale windows the views they represent are divided, sliced into contrasting images, yet eventually reconciled. In this way Clapham explores how combinations of colours and textures may trigger unlooked-for emotional responses.

The most recent work combines these images with the black-and-white news coverage of the Ukrainian conflict that has dominated the news cycle in recent years.