Charlie Millar

Biography

In November 2000 Charlie Millar flew to Mali equipped with a handful of pencils, a tiny watercolour tin and a bag of paper. Travelling vast distances within the country, he created a series of sketches and works on paper that formed the basis of some of the most exciting work of his career.

Mali has given him a rich new perspective on those things that matter most to him: music, faith and buildings. These are the frontiers of his life, and have proved fertile themes in his work to date. For some years his paintings have evoked a strong sense of place through an exploration of what makes those places unique.

Before visiting Mali he produced a series of 98 panels called The Strong Brown God - revisiting places and themes that have long preoccupied him - Suffolk, Ethiopia, Glyndebourne, Wagner, maps, symbols, music and architecture.