Finding Paintbrushes in the Amazon

From August 4th to 7th, British painter Micheal Haran will co-host an exhibition titled “Vision and Colour” with painter Paul Mulvey in London.

Upon first seeing Micheal Haran‘s work, it’s hard not to be drawn to the almost fiery colours. Intense reds, blues, yellows, and greens collide and flow within the canvas, their forms sometimes resembling plants, sometimes animals, and sometimes life forms seemingly emerging from the depths of a dream. Standing before his paintings, you experience a wondrous feeling: these paintings are not depicting reality, but rather attempting to open up another world. Most surprising, is the origin of all this is the Amazon rainforest.

From August 4-7, Haran will return to 54 The Gallery in London’s Mayfair alongside painter Paul Mulvey for “Vision and Colour.” For many viewers, this may just be an ordinary exhibition, but looking deeper you will discover that behind these works lies a life story about letting go, searching, and restarting.

Haran graduated from the Slade School of Fine Art, University College London. In the British art world, Slade is considered one of the most influential art schools, having nurtured important artists such as sculptor Antony Gormley, painter Howard Hodgkin, and Turner Prize winner Paula Rego.

However, after graduation Haran did not become a professional painter. Instead he worked in the interior design industry for many years. Paintbrushes were put away in drawers, and art gradually receded to the margins of his life.

If the story had ended there, he might have become one of countless people with artistic dreams who ultimately chose other careers. Years later, however, he made a decision that surprised many—to travel alone to Iquitos, deep in the Amazon rainforest in Peru.

He lived there for two and a half years. It was more than just a trip; it was a turning point in his life. Haran followed the locals, engaging with shamanistic culture and studying their understanding of nature, life, and the spiritual world.

Read the full article here:

https://chinaminutes.com/2026/06/22/micheal-haran-i-found-my-paintbrushes-in-the-amazon/