Thomas Lamprell’s converted barn at Telegraph Hill in Honingham, near Dereham burnt down in January 2016.
He lost hundreds of paintings, childhood sketches, and sentimental items as a result of the blaze.
Mr Lamprell’s studio in Honingham burnt down in January 2016 (Image: Newsquest)
Despite this, Mr Lamprell said he was looking at what happened as “a really positive thing”.
He said: “Up until that point, I was concerned with art as commercialism and making money. I was getting precious with the value of paintings.
“I’ve come to realise that art is not about accumulating wealth or assets. It’s about the strength of it and the journey and doing what you want to do.
“Of course, I would still love the artwork I lost, but to take such a tragic event and see the positives has been really beneficial for me”.
Mr Lamprell’s show, entitled ‘Illuminated by Fire’, is a nod to the morning of the blaze (Image: Pete Huggins)
Mr Lamprell is now opening a show entitled Illuminated by Fire at the South Quay Gallery in Great Yarmouth on September 4.
The show, which will run for two weeks, is a nod to the morning of the fire and a wider debate about authenticity and craft in art.
It provides a case for work rooted in direct observation, engagement with physical materials, and the hours and human contact it takes to produce a picture in a world where images can be produced instantly with software.
The show is looking to explore the wider debate about authenticity and craft in art (Image: Pete Huggins)
“I’ve always been interested in the idea of what it is to paint as a human being”, said Mr Lamprell. “The overriding direction is trying to grapple with the value of it.
“It’s easy to type in a concept into AI, but I don’t think it’s about that. People don’t necessarily want to be taught how to draw, they want to be given the confidence to experiment and paint without judgement.
“There’s some kind of poetic attraction and that’s the gap I’m trying to operate in”.
Mr Lamprell said the overriding direction is about trying to grapple with the value of art (Image: Pete Huggins)
Mr Lamprell, who teaches at an arts charity based in Yarmouth, said he was quietly hopeful Illuminated by Fire will be engaging.
He added: “It’s totally open to the public. The more people that come, the better.
The show will run at the South Quay Gallery in Great Yarmouth – which is owned by Pete Huggins and his wife (Image: Pete Huggins)
“I’ve become really attached to Yarmouth. I have a studio there and a lot of my work is concerned with the area.
“I’m quietly hopeful it will be stimulating and those who come will have some questions about the paintings”.