Neate’s pen, for example, will not flow if he is distracted, causing the lines to become heavier.

The mood is an important aspect for these artists.

Ahmadi uses a candle to alter the light around him, whilst Neate occasionally looks at the flickering and muted television screen showing old British movies that remind him of the past. For the majority, music is often instrumental to the creative process, as is a quiet space without distraction. Over time these kindred spirits have all found ways of working that are favourable to their act of mark making. For others, like Nishikawa, this skill came later through the act of doodling. He discovered his clairvoyant and clairaudient abilities, along with the skill to create, at a young age. Some of this development has taken years, like o2o, whose name symbolises eternal learning or wisdom. Each has a deep understanding of the other’s ups and downs encountered in the development of this unusual artistic process. The irrepressible urge to draw, accompanied by experiences of a spiritual or psychic nature, forms a harmonious bond between the artists. Kindred Spirits presents drawings by four artists whose works possess a numinous energy and compelling beauty.

Kindred spirits meaning