Suki Chumber, who has exhibited all over the West Midlands including Wolverhampton Art Gallery had an exhibition at Newhampton Arts Centre in 2018 with paintings he says were worth £1,500,
Suki – full name Sukhjeven – graduated in fine art from the University of Wolverhampton in 2009.
He claims the paintings which were displayed in 2018 at the centre in Dunkley Street – now re-named Wolverhampton Arts Centre have gone missing when he was expecting them to either be stored or returned if there was no room to still display them.
He told the Express & Star: “I understand there is quite a bit of time passed since the exhibition of the paintings but they have been in the care of the gallery since then.
“I have not heard anything about them being returned until recently when I broached the subject with the new management there but were told they had gone missing.”
“If this is the case then I do expect them to find them again or provide some compensation for the time and trouble it took me to paint and exhibit them.”
In a recent letter to Suki seen by the Express & Star, Trevelyan Wright, the chief executive of Wolverhampton Arts Centre (WAC) said: “WAC has had no communication from yourself concerning these paintings for over five years, our records show the last contact was in 2019, six years ago.
“During the period of COVID restrictions in 2020 there were many changes to the physical operation of the site and it is our best understanding that the paintings were removed from display at this time.
“Since your contact this year we have used our best endeavours to search the sitebut at this time we have been unable to locate the two paintings concerned.
“Should this situation change we will of course be in touch.”
He said they were in no position to pay compensation as a registered charity but they would continue to search for the paintings to return them if found.
