The Gallery at Hayling began with a lifelong interest in fine art and a desire to give artists a place to share their work. Founded by Terence Moss in 2023, our Hayling Island art gallery brings together a carefully selected collection and a personal approach to viewing and buying art.
For Terence, opening the gallery was an opportunity to turn a long-held passion into a place where artists, collectors and visitors could meet. It was also a response to the creativity he saw around him and the need for more opportunities to bring that work into public view.
Today, the gallery presents modern, contemporary and fine art, with a particular focus on Gerard Sekoto alongside a selection of European artists. Behind the collection is a straightforward belief: good artwork deserves to be seen, discussed and appreciated.
A Lifelong Interest in Fine Art
Terence’s appreciation of art began at school. Learning to notice colour, light and composition changed how he looked at paintings and the world around him. What started in the classroom became an interest that stayed with him throughout his life.
His own creative background includes writing, songwriting, painting and stage musical production. These experiences have given him an appreciation of the thought and work involved in making something, as well as the importance of finding an audience for it.
Opening an art gallery on Hayling Island brought these interests together. It created an opportunity to share artwork he valued while making room for other people to form their own connections with it.
Creating a Space for Art on Hayling Island
The idea for the gallery grew through conversations with artists and makers on Hayling Island and along the surrounding coast. Terence encountered work that he felt deserved greater attention, but saw limited opportunities locally for it to be shown.
He wanted to create a space where people could spend time with art and where conversations could develop around it. The gallery would give visitors the chance to ask about an artist, understand a particular piece or simply enjoy looking.
That intention remains central to The Gallery at Hayling. We want the experience to feel welcoming and unhurried, with room for curiosity and different opinions. Visitors do not need to arrive with specialist knowledge or an established collection.
Some people know exactly which artist or type of work interests them. Others are discovering their preferences. Both should feel comfortable taking their time.
A Collection with Different Perspectives
Our collection brings together original paintings and fine art prints across a range of styles and mediums. Oils on canvas, lithographs, giclée prints, pastels and gouache each offer a different experience of an artist’s work.
Some pieces draw attention through colour or texture. Others invite a closer look at their subject, composition or the story behind them. Presenting different approaches allows visitors to explore what they respond to and discover work they might not otherwise have encountered.
The gallery’s selection reflects an interest in individual artistic voices. We consider the character of each piece and what it contributes to the collection, while recognising that visitors will bring their own experiences and preferences to it.
A painting that recalls a place for one person might attract someone else through its use of light. These different responses are part of what makes sharing art worthwhile.
Gerard Sekoto at the Heart of the Gallery
Gerard Sekoto holds a central place in The Gallery at Hayling’s collection. His expressive colour, observations of everyday life and portrayals of people and communities offer much to explore.
Our interest in his artwork includes the experiences behind it. The people and places he painted invite consideration of community, identity and the circumstances surrounding daily life in South Africa.
As Terence’s approach to presenting Sekoto’s work makes clear, it matters as much why he painted as what he painted. Understanding that context can deepen our appreciation of a piece without taking away the immediate pleasure of its colour and composition.
Giving Sekoto a prominent place within the gallery allows visitors to spend time with his work and consider these connections. It also provides a focus for conversations about how art records human experience.
A Personal Approach to Collecting Art
Buying artwork can be a significant decision, particularly when you are considering an original piece for the first time. Having the opportunity to look closely and ask questions can make the experience more comfortable.
Our approach is personal and considered. We encourage visitors to spend time with the collection and think about what attracts them to a particular work. Learning about its medium, dimensions and background helps place that initial response in context.
There is also value in seeing artwork away from a screen. Scale, surface and detail become easier to appreciate in person, and a piece may make a different impression when you stand in front of it.
For established collectors, a visit may be about exploring a particular artist or finding a work that adds another perspective to a collection. For someone beginning to buy art, it may be the first opportunity to understand which styles and subjects hold their attention.
A Hampshire Gallery with a Wider Outlook
Hayling Island is our home, but the collection reflects an appreciation of art that extends beyond the local area. Bringing together work with different cultural and artistic backgrounds gives visitors the opportunity to encounter a variety of perspectives within one gallery.
We welcome interest from collectors and art enthusiasts across Hampshire, throughout the UK and internationally. Each visitor brings a different point of view, adding to the conversations that Terence hoped the gallery would encourage.
That original intention continues to shape The Gallery at Hayling: to give worthwhile art a place to be seen and to make the experience of discovering it personal, thoughtful and enjoyable.