Matt Freeth is a Bristol-based filmmaker. Alongside his work in film, he has developed a distinctive charcoal drawing style built around confident line work, selective tonal rendering and direct observation. Rather than constructing an image, he follows the lines, light and form of the figure, allowing each drawing to emerge through observation. This is his first public exhibition.

“I began attending life drawing during one of the most difficult periods of my life. I was looking for somewhere to escape for a couple of hours, but it gradually became a place where I could be fully present.

Every other Monday, on the lower deck of the Grain Barge in Bristol, with charcoal, paper and a pint, my only job was to look.

I choose a seat where the light helps me see the form clearly, then I follow the lines, light and shape of the figure rather than trying to construct an image. I don’t worry if the marks don’t make sense at first. I trust what I can see and allow the drawing to emerge naturally. Eventually, something recognisably human appears.

Without clothes, the human figure can appear both vulnerable and incredibly strong at the same time. It’s that balance that I found myself returning to again and again.

Looking back, I realise these drawings became a quiet record of my own journey. What began as an escape became a reminder that, by staying with what I could see in front of me, I was gradually rebuilding my confidence and learning to trust my own perceptions again.”

This is a free exhibition to visit in the Snug