An emerging Norfolk artist is set to unveil his first solo exhibition in a market town.
Jim Rymer, who paints under the name JAROME, is opening ‘The Art Imposter' at The Gallery Upstairs in Fakenham.
His work will be on display at the gallery - located above Venetia's Yarn Shop on Norwich Street - from Tuesday, October 11 until December 23.
Mr Rymer, who lives in Fakenham, has enjoyed a varied working career during his 25 years in Norfolk, working as head of drama at Northgate High School in Dereham, before becoming a psychotherapist and then a psychologist specialising in helping young people.
In 2017, he stepped into the world of producing his own contemporary conceptual artwork.
He had taken up painting and became transfixed with the process following a serious illness several years prior, dramatically altering his view on life.
Due to the pandemic, Mr Rymer was initially confronted with obstacles when it came to getting eyes on his work, but it spurred him on to produce even better creations for the world to see.
"I decided a number of years ago to paint," he said. "It followed a period of severe ill health that altered the way I approached life.
"I have been painting contemporary pictures seriously for four years, although the pandemic got in the way of publicising my work.”
Taking influence from several years worth of study into religious art history, as well as his upbringing in Ireland, Mr Rymer began painting under the alias, JAROME.
He describes his art as "the texture of memory", with "strong, bold choices" and heavy use of oil blended with layers of resin, ink and "various unexpected materials".
He added: "This makes for powerful viewing; the true challenge between my past and art history colliding to produce evocative pieces of work."
Mr Rymer's work first went on display at the Little Red Gallery in Lincoln and the Art Star Gallery in Drove.
On the upcoming solo exhibition, he said: "I am incredibly excited to continue to experiment and push the boundaries of what is possible within the artistic world, and to emphasise the emotional impact I hope to provoke with my work."
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