Artists Cathy Burke and Jacqueline Burrage presented their joint debut exhibition Life in Colour at the Old Fire Station Gallery in Henley in June 2022.
The two artists met during lockdown and discovered shared interests in painting, music and the sensory effect of colour.
Two practices connected by music
Burke worked as a painter alongside her career as an opera singer and actress. Burrage was a translator and interpreter who also played piano and violin.
The exhibition developed from their interest in how visual colour and musical experience can affect mood and perception. Although their practices remained distinct, the title created a common frame for works shaped by intensity, rhythm and emotional response.
Presenting the work together allowed each artist’s approach to be seen in relation to the other rather than as two isolated first exhibitions.
Sales supporting local and international causes
Burrage donated proceeds from her art sales to Riverside Counselling, a local organisation providing affordable mental-health support.
Burke directed proceeds from the opening night to Friends of Kipkelion, a charity working in a remote area of Kenya on health, education and access to clean water.
These commitments added a social dimension to the exhibition without replacing its artistic focus. The donations emerged from the artists’ decision to connect their first public presentation with organisations they wished to support.
Life in Colour marked a transition from private creative practice during lockdown to public exhibition. The collaboration demonstrated how two artists from different professional backgrounds could build a shared event around colour, music and the renewed possibility of gathering in a gallery.