S|2 London presents Sweet Nothing, an exhibition of new work by Charming Baker including paintings and large-scale drawings. Baker’s work is defined by a restless imagination, and ranges freely from the everyday to the deeply personal, encouraging the viewer to make their own connections and conclusions. “Nothing is only ever one thing. I don't see why I shouldn’t bend, shape or break an image to alter its original meaning, if only to entertain" says Baker.

While the meaning behind his works might hover in ambiguity, Baker is an artist rooted in the rural Yorkshire of his childhood and in the tradition of British painting. This romantic vision - which references artists such as Constable and Hockney - is coupled with a raw energy that sees Baker cut, drill and even shoot the canvas with a rifle. The critic Edward Lucie-Smith has described Baker’s paintings as having, “something more, a kind of romantic melancholy that is very British. And sometimes the melancholy turns out to have sharp claws. The pictures make you sit up and examine your conscience.”