Powerful exhibition at Harbour House explores grief, growth and collective imagination

Lilies and Illusions is a new exhibition by Cornwall-based artist Ben Sanderson, bringing together two distinct but interconnected bodies of work: deeply personal paintings made by the artist during a time of loss, alongside large-scale wall drawings created in collaboration with local young people through a series of community workshops.

The exhibition is a culmination of a creative partnership between Sanderson and a group of young people who participated in summer art and movement sessions led by the artist in collaboration with Kingsbridge Foodbank and Kingsbridge Community Primary School.

These workshops formed part of a wider community programme by Harbour House championing creative wellbeing and access to the arts, especially for families who face social or economic barriers to cultural participationOver the course of a week in summer 2025, the group worked alongside Sanderson to develop dynamic wall drawings that now form a central part of the exhibition. The works celebrate collective creativity, freedom of expression and the power of collaboration offering a joyful and imaginative counterpoint to Sanderson's more solitary practice of painting.

Harbour House Director, Amy Dickson, explains the importance of collaborating with young people in the community: “At Harbour House, collaboration is at the heart of everything we do. We’re proud to have partnered with Kingsbridge Foodbank and Kingsbridge Community Primary School to engage young people in our community through art and movement workshops over the holidays, while also providing free meals throughout the day. We believe in the transformative power of art, not only as a personal creative practice, but as a means of fostering connection and building community. Lilies and Illusions captures this spirit beautifully, uniting Ben Sanderson's intimate studio work with the voices and imaginations of local young people. Its a powerful reminder of how art can help us process grief, cultivate joy, and create inclusive spaces where everyone feels they belong.

”Alongside these community drawings, Sanderson presents a series of intimate studio paintings made during a period marked by personal grief. Created between the time of his mother’s diagnosis and the period following her passing, these small-scale paintings are quiet and contemplative. They explore the surreal, heightened quality of everyday life during times of processing grief, where moments can feel suspended or symbolic.

Together, these two bodies of work, one deeply personal and the other radically collective, sit in dialogue throughout lilies and illusions. The exhibition invites viewers to consider the many roles that art can play: a space for healing, connection, remembrance and collaboration.

The exhibition also features a film by Bens close friend Naomi Frears, whose exhibition The Days of the Future Stand Before Us took place at Harbour House in 2024.

Naomi’s film follows Ben working in his studio and offers a reflective, behind-the-scenes look at his process during this significant period in his life and practice.

Lilies and Illusions demonstrates the importance of making the arts accessible and meaningful for everyone, regardless of background and of building connections between professional practice and community creativity.

Join Ben Sanderson to discuss his exhibition Lilies and Illusions at Harbour House alongside Naomi Frears.

This event is FREE but booking is essential via eventbrite. You can book to join in person in the gallery or online.