Philip Barlow's oil paintings that look like blurred photographs of cities at night

The South African artist usually gives us summer scenes from the beach or city. For his latest series, Night, he brings us seductive cityscapes that contained blurred lights, creating those appealing colourful spots that we might capture when the camera is struggling to focus in low light.

"Although I work within a long tradition of landscape painting," says Philip, "my depiction of the 'seen' landscape is simply a vehicle through which I navigate the territory of another nature. A landscape less ordinary; where the line between the physical and the spiritual realm has seemingly been removed. However, these scenarios are not intended to be of a surreal nature. Hopefully, they will seem curiously familiar and convincingly real."

"The figures in the landscape serve as carriers and reflectors of the light that falls upon them," he adds. "Bathed in the luminosity, it is my hope that they would become more beautiful. To me, light is the ultimate subject because it embodies the pinnacle of all reality."

Philip currently lives and paints in Riebeek Kasteel, near Cape Town. He is married and has two children and two dogs. Find out more at philipbarlow.com.