There’s always a cost. Terry Bradley’s latest exhibition explores the mental, emotional and physical toll of life, the quiet struggle beneath the surface.
Cost is about survival, the struggle to create, to feel, to endure and the flicker of light that still insists on being seen.
As with so much of Bradley’s work, COST captures the tension between strength and fragility, between the face we show the world and the turmoil beneath.
Terry Bradley’s painting titled COST is a striking and deeply personal work that speaks to the price we all pay to keep moving through life. The title reflects not just the financial or physical sacrifices, but the emotional and mental toll that accompanies creativity, survival, and self-expression.
Against a raw crimson backdrop, the fragmented face stares back, both defiant and questioning.
The title painting embodies the central idea of the exhibition, the price of endurance. It captures the quiet strength it takes to survive life’s pressures, showing the marks left behind by struggle. COST is not about defeat but acceptance, the knowledge that to keep going, we all pay something, in energy, hope, time, or peace of mind. It’s both personal and universal, asking the viewer to reflect on what life has taken from them, and what it has given in return.
Within the context of the exhibition Bradley has looked at his own personal costs. These will be different for everybody but for Bradley his creative journey through life comes at a cost to his mental health. Whether because of it or in spite of it Bradley’s creativity plays a central role in the life he lives.
Bradley, known for his emotive portrayals of strength beneath fragility, says:
“COST is a collection of my most personal work to date. I don't just paint these emotions, I feel and live them . . . I need the paintings to talk for me.”
The collection brings together a series of new original paintings, many of which have never been exhibited before. Among the paintings on display are pieces named Doubt and Waiting, with each having a few lines from the artist explaining their meaning to him and his take on the world around him. Through his distinctive style, bold, expressive, and unflinchingly human, Bradley invites viewers to reflect on their own experiences of endurance and hope.
The Exhibition Experience
Guests at the opening night in The Bradley Gallery, Victoria Square will be immersed in an atmospheric experience designed to echo the theme of the work. Subtle lighting, ambient sound, and artist notes will accompany each painting.
The exhibition also marks a moment of reflection for Bradley himself, who has long used his art to open conversations around mental health and the hidden battles we all face.
Opening Hours 
