On November 13, 2025, Arden Rose and Adrian Bliss held their debut show at Hackney Downs Studios, London. The event – rare for art debuts – was swarmed, yet a tangible air of levity hung in the space. This, in tandem with the dreamy landscapes and nostalgic energies found in each of Rose and Bliss’s works, was made all the more noticeable by pouring rain outside – a fitting juxtaposition.
The duo met several years ago through Rose’s husband and have remained close friends since. From here, they chose to explore the ways their art complements the other’s, leading to an exhibition born of collaborative efforts.
Either series of distinct works beautifully shared a softness created by way of oil paints, a notoriously difficult medium to master. Themes of dreamy nostalgia and vignetted realities invited the viewer to imagine their own narrative within each of the paintings. The compositions elicit a soothing deja vu of a memory just out of reach.
Rose and Bliss individually and simultaneously decided to pursue their art more seriously, which led to the decision to share a studio space in London. This allowed their practice to evolve, creating room for experimentation with the chemicals composition oil paints and the subsequent large format artworks they painted them with.
Rose shared that, while growing up in Arkansas, she entered wildlife painting competitions. Many of her paintings have also been inspired by her film photography. On one excursion, she took a trip to rural Maine, where she stayed in a cabin. After developing the photos she took there, she noticed how the wash of light over the landscape created a hazy, wistful color palette which she evokes in her paintings.
The colour palettes of Rose’s works imbue feelings of nostalgia: soft lilacs, muted greens, pale yellows and blues. While we looked at her piece Maine 5am, she joked that it featured a “welcoming green, not a scary green.” Her artworks have an inviting energy, an aura which invites the viewer to lean closer as they imagine stepping into her dreamy, oil-painted houses.
Bliss says that he has always had a passion for art, but has taken it more seriously in the last few years. Recently, he attended an oil painting intensive in Paros, Greece. Many of Bliss’ paintings feature romantic Mediterranean vignettes dappled with sunlight. Each work is touched with movement. A gentle, impressionist lens settles over his figures, feeling like a window into a classic novel – complete with a salty sea breeze.
Both artists have amassed large online presences with social media content, but are now using their creativity for fine art pursuits. Their first art show was a massive success with warm reception.
