An exhibition of contemporary paintings and prints by Sally Grumbridge exploring a personal history: one man’s experiences as a Far East Prisoner of War working on the Thailand-Burma Railway & the ‘Bridge on the River Kwai’ and her own journey to that corner of Thailand.

Sally Grumbridge, a successful and well-established painter and printmaker, is one of four resident artists at Trackside Gallery & Workshops (an exciting arts venue in Acton, West London, committed to promoting local artists of all disciplines). Sally had grown up hearing tales, often tinged with humour, of her father’s time as a prisoner of war in Thailand during World War II. It has only been in recent years, long since his death, however, that she started to research the reality of his experiences. In 2004 she met up with her daughter in Thailand and together they travelled to Kanchanaburi Province to see for themselves the beautiful country that hosted one of the many horror stories of that dark period of history.

The art in this exhibition, however, does not deal with horror but of hope and survival. Sally’s strong yet poignant work, part figurative, part abstract, takes its inspiration from her own visual experiences in Thailand, memories of her father’s stories and the entries from his war-time journal and other primary sources.

“This has been a real labour of love; the historical research was fascinating, the visit to Thailand emotional and the making of the work quite a struggle. I wanted to produce a body of work that, rather than tell the story, in some way communicated my responses, feelings and understanding of what my father went through and how he survived. What’s more, I’ve managed to get it done in time to open the exhibition on what would have been his 100th birthday!” Sally Grumbridge

In tandem with her work, there will be an exhibition of photographs, her father’s personal effects and a brief history of the building of the railway, which cost tens of thousands of lives, and the three and half years’ captivity experienced by allied troops in Thailand between the fall of Singapore and the end of the war on the 15th August 1945.

In addition to inviting the general public and art lovers to view this exhibition, Trackside Gallery will be extending an invitation to local schools to visit the show on specific dates.

A percentage of revenue from Sally’s work sold during the exhibition will be donated to COFEPOW (Children and Families of Far East Prisoners of War) to support the work they do in keeping memories alive.