Philip Gray New Collection

Philip has worked in such challenging locations as Everest Base Camp, 60 feet beneath the surface of shark infested waters in the Bahamas, the rainforest of Borneo, Icelandic volcanoes, Mexican underwater caves, the Sahara Desert, during a skydive and most recently diving at China’s Qiandao Lake where he has painted the country’s famous city of Shicheng on location 100ft beneath the surface. Often called the “Atlantis of the East” by travellers, this 600 year old underwater city is a magnificent, mysterious time capsule of Imperial China. Shicheng – translated as Lion City - was deliberately flooded in 1959 to make way for the Xin’an Dam and its adjoining hydroelectric station, then forgotten. In 2001, expeditions and underwater photographs revealed five entrance gates and wide streets graced by 265 archways, with stonework featuring lions, dragons, phoenixes and historical inscriptions dating back to 1368. The water has preserved the city beautifully, protecting it from erosion and extremes of weather, but in the absence of natural light it is hard to imagine it as a living metropolis brimming with life, vibrancy and colour. In this painting Phil has reimagined it on our behalf, using a dazzling array of colours and bathing the scene in an almost celestial light which befits its ethereal setting.