Dimbola

Eavesdropping on the Otherworld - Syd Wytch
2026-03-14 10:00 - 2026-06-07 16:00 UTC
14th March – 7th June
Eavesdropping on the Other World will be on display in the Studio Gallery and features new work by local photographer and artist Syd Buron.
“I am honoured to once again be exhibiting in the room, which was once Julia Margaret Cameron’s Studio,”
The exhibition includes paintings, most produced during his residency at Ventnor Botanic Garden — alongside works by other visionary artists that have inspired him. His focus is on psychedelic depictions of folklore, creating a visual companion to today’s thriving “acid folk” contemporary music scene.
Returning to the darkroom, Buron has also produced photographic works on the backs of theatre light lenses. Mounted in circular wooden frames and illuminated from behind, they appear like glowing portholes into another world.
Dimbola is delighted to welcome Syd back. He first exhibited at the gallery in 2014 in the tearoom and more recently in 2023 in the studio gallery. This latest exhibition showcases an exciting new body of work and the creative influences that shape it.
The work is for sale please enquire at the front desk
wytch.co.uk

Dreams - Yana Barabash
2026-03-14 10:00 - 2026-06-07 16:00
14th March – 7th June
Three and a half years ago, Yana and her mother fled the Russian invasion of Ukraine, leaving their home in Odesa and settled in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight.
Originally from Odesa, Yana received her formal training at the Kostandi Art School and the Grekov Odesa State Art College. Painting has been part of her life since childhood, and oil remains her primary medium for its depth, flexibility and capacity for refined detail.
Over the years she has held numerous exhibitions in museums and galleries in Ukraine, Spain, London and on the Island. In 2025 she was a winner in the prestigious ‘UK Women in Art’ show at Roundhouse, London in 2025.
This exhibition holds special significance for Yana. During her first visit to Dimbola, encountering the photographs of Julia Margaret Cameron felt like a quiet dialogue across time. The mystical atmosphere and emotional depth of Cameron’s work resonate with Yana’s own search for inner presence and atmosphere. The light of Freshwater, the sea and the landscape of the Isle of Wight form an environment that feels both intimate and powerful.
The exhibition brings together several groups of Yana’s works created in England. Some respond directly to the Island and its surroundings. Others continue her long-standing practice of portraiture and figurative scenes drawn from personal life. The central body of work explores minerals, trees and flowers.
In recent years Yana has turned toward elemental forms — stone, roots, petals — as a way of seeking stability and harmony. Minerals inspire her through their structure and depth; old trees become symbols of endurance and grounding; flowers, often intertwined with female figures, suggest delicacy, vulnerability and inner strength.Through these works, she searches for balance, stillness and a sense of rootedness in an unsettled world.
The work is for sale, please enquire at the front desk.
yanabarabash.com

Photechnolgy by Ralph Wells
2026-04-07 10:00 - 2026-04-30 16:00
Has Technology Had a Positive Impact on Photography?
4 Cameras, 6 Subjects
This exhibition explores the question: Has technology had a positive impact on photography?
To investigate this, I captured a series of images using four cameras spanning nearly 50 years of technological development. Each camera was paired with a similar focal length (approximately 50mm) to maintain consistency.
The cameras used were:
•Canon AE-1 (1976), a film camera
• Canon 5D Mk I (2005), an early digital DSLR
• Canon R50 (2023), a modern mirrorless camera
• iPhone 17 Pro Max (2025), with Al-assisted
image enhancement
Using these tools, I photographed six subjects- landscape, animal, portrait, product, lifestyle, nature, and food-keeping the composition consistent by shooting from the same angle and distance each time. By presenting these images side by side, the exhibition invites viewers to compare image quality and the influence of technological advancement.
This exhibition is currently on display in our back corridor downstairs and is free to browse. The opening is on Friday 10th April 4-6pm
Created by Ralph as part of his HPQ, the project was inspired by a photography workshop he attended at Dimbola last year.
Higher Project Qualification (HPQ) is a Level 2 academic qualification in the UK (typically for ages 14–16) that challenges students to complete an independent project on a topic of their choice. It is worth half a GCSE and is assessed through a 2,000-word report, an artefact, or a presentation

Annabel Moeller - Ukraine
2026-05-01 10:00 - 2026-10-31 16:00
During the latter part of 2024 Annabel joined Dr Bob Seely on several trips to Ukraine to take photographs for his book describing in detail the now 20 year campaign waged by Putin to bring Ukraine back under Russian control.
Together they met and interviewed the brave young men and women taking part in the country’s relentless war effort to prevent this from happening.
Though many were military personnel before the war, it was both fascinating and humbling to discover the varied professions that so many others had given up in order to defend the sovereignty of their country. Ordinary people living ordinary lives, now joined together to protect their very way of life.
Amongst those they met chefs, city councillors, film producers, website designers, teachers, lawyers, photographers, musicians, retired grandparents and so many more.
A small selection of this striking photographers on our display in our back corridor, behind our giftshop and is free to browse.
We plan to showcase a larger selection later in the year.
