A vivid celebration of colour arrives at Courtyard Arts

Courtyard Arts, Hertford, unveils a riot of colour this summer with a new exhibition by multidisciplinary artist Annie Lyon, running 9 June – 4 July. Known for her fearless use of colour and playful approach to materials, Lyon brings together hand‑built ceramics, assemblage, textiles, and found objects in a show that crackles with energy and joy.

Drawing on Kandinsky’s belief that “colour is a power which directly influences the soul,” Lyon creates work that surprises, uplifts, and gently subverts expectations. Her latest pieces combine painted ceramics with unexpected treasures sourced from nature, charity shops, and everyday life—each object transformed into a vibrant celebration of discovery.

“Colour wakes me up, stimulates my senses, and is my safe place when life is tough,” says Lyon. “Experimentation, humour, and joy are at the heart of everything I make.”

A Hertford‑based artist with roots in Bradford College’s 1960s art scene, Lyon has spent decades exploring weaving, spinning, digital design, sculpture, and installation. Her influences include Sheila Hicks, Kandinsky, Judith Scott, Ettore Sottsass, and the poetic sensibility of Leonard Cohen.

This exhibition offers a bold, uplifting journey into the power of colour—and the delight of the unexpected.

“Over the years I have explored many disciplines, and with time my fascination has only deepened as colour continues to delight and inspire me. Colour wakes me up,  stimulates my senses,  makes me feel lighter, deeper, higher, funnier and it is my safe place to return to when life is tough.  It is essential to my life.

I have woven, twisted, digitally designed, painted, and constructed colourful works ranging from small pieces to large installations across a variety of mediums. I now focus primarily on building and painting ceramics. I also love assembling unusual objects — often found in nature, charity shops, or unexpected places — so my work frequently brings together diverse materials in a single vibrant colour filled piece.

I have always enjoyed making people smile and gently challenging the expected. Many of my works carry a sense of humour, but experimentation, discovery, joy and above all colour remain at the heart of everything I create.  I live and work in Hertford. “