As the pandemic dragged on, exiled Mancunians started to yearn for paintings of home

The surprising nostalgia of Jen Orpin's motorways and bridges

Good morning members — as the world went into lockdown last year, the Manchester-based artist Jen Orpin realised something unexpected was happening: she was suddenly getting a flood of orders from Mancunian ex-pats around the world. Her buyers told her they wanted a reminder of home on their walls — even though the kinds of scenes she paints are hardly homely.

As two exhibitions show her work, Dani spoke to Orpin about what drives her art and why she feels attracted to scenes that we often pass without thinking.