Venus of Willendorf — oil painting by Nic Ledger

Exhibiting at

Chalke Valley History Festival

June 2026

Nic
Ledger

Oil painter. Figurative work across history, archaeology, and the present.

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Nic Ledger

I'm an oil painter based in Shrewsbury. I've always been drawn to history, understanding who we are through the connections it draws, cultural, political, spiritual and through the everyday.

I work from objects, images and photographs that hold particular resonance, trying to capture something of the deeper meaning they carry.

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"Where We
Are From"

Where We Are From is a series of oil paintings of figurative sculptures from our ancient and prehistoric past: the Löwenmensch, the Venus of Willendorf, a Cycladic figure, a Sumerian votive figure, an Olmec head. These objects are between 3,000 and 40,000 years old. I'm interested in what happens when you paint them as portraits rather than artefacts. What they look like when you give them your full attention. And what they might make of the world they're now looking out into.

Venus of Willendorf — oil painting by Nic Ledger

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Venus of Willendorf

Oil on canvas  ·  61 × 61 cm  ·  2026

Palaeolithic fertility figure, circa 28,000 BCE. Limestone. Natural History Museum, Vienna.

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Löwenmensch — oil painting by Nic Ledger

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Löwenmensch

Oil on canvas  ·  2024

The oldest known figurative sculpture, carved from mammoth ivory approximately 40,000 years ago. Found in the Swabian Jura, Germany.

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Olmec Head — oil painting by Nic Ledger

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Olmec Head

Oil on canvas  ·  2026

Colossal Olmec head at the moment of excavation. Mesoamerica, circa 1200–400 BCE. Basalt stone.

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King Shulgi of Ur — oil painting by Nic Ledger

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King Shulgi of Ur

Oil on canvas  ·  59.4 × 80 cm  ·  2026

Bronze figure with oxidised copper patina, circa 2600 BCE. Ancient Mesopotamia.

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Long Grass — oil painting by Nic Ledger
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Long Grass

Oil on canvas

Second Wave — oil painting by Nic Ledger
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Second Wave

Oil and gold leaf on board

Tim Platt — oil painting by Nic Ledger
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Tim Platt

Oil on canvas

Polly and May — oil painting by Nic Ledger
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Polly and May

Oil on canvas

Strong Girls Club — oil painting by Nic Ledger
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Strong Girls Club

Oil on canvas

Discover — oil painting by Nic Ledger
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Discover

Oil on canvas

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Get in
touch

For enquiries about work, commissions, or upcoming exhibitions:

ledger.nic@googlemail.com
Where to buy

Chalke Valley History Festival

June 2026, Broad Chalke, Wiltshire
Works from the current series on display.
Contact for further details.