Romi Behrens (1939 - 2019) was born in Wiltshire, and moved to Cornwall in 1959, where she lived for the rest of her life. A multi-talented and thoroughly creative person, she was a talented visual artist as well as violinist. She was a long-term member of the Newlyn Society of Artists since the late 1960s, where her paintings were often exhibited in mixed shows. Romi was described by critic Frank Ruhrmund as 'both a speedy and a spontaneous artist' and she was great friends with many leading contemporary artists in the St Ives Colony.
Romi Behrens' work was exhibited at the Arnolfini, Bristol, private galleries in London and the Royal Academy Summer Exhibitions.
In 2020 a body of paintings by Romi Behrens was selected for the 'St Ives Modernists' exhibition at David Simon Contemporary, Castle Cary, and shown alongside paintings by William Scott, Patrick Heron, Christopher Wood and Terry Frost. A retrospective exhibition of Behrens' work is scheduled at the gallery for November 2021.
Exhibitions:
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London, 1977
Brunswick Gallery, Judd Street, London, 1980
Arnolfini, Bristol, 1982
Halesworth Gallery, Suffolk, 1982
Margaret Fisher Gallery, Hampstead, London, 1984
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition, London, 1984
Michael Parkin Gallery, Motcombe Street, London, 1990
Rebecca Hossack Gallery, Windmill Street, London, 1991
Cadogan Contemporary, South Kensington, London, 1993
Leighton House, Holland Park, London, 1999
Badcocks Gallery, Newlyn, Penzance, 2005
McKenzie-Wylie Contemporary Art, Hungerford, 2005
Trereife House Gallery, Penzance, 2006
Badcocks Gallery, Newlyn, Penzance, 2007
Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro, Cornwall, 2010
The Old Methodist Chapel, Gulval, Penzance, 2010
The Illustration Cupboard, St James’, London, 2011
The Old Methodist Chapel, Gulval, Penzance, 2011
Penwith Gallery, St Ives, 2014
The Silk Mill, Frome, 2015
The Art Factory, Bruton, 2015
The Gallery, Shepherd Market, London, 2016
Newlyn Art Gallery, Newlyn, Penzance, 2017
Tremenheere Gallery, Penzance, 2018
David Simon Gallery, Castle Cary, October 2020
David Simon Gallery, Castle Cary, November 2021
