Gina Long art exhibition at Bury St Edmunds cathedral

Gina Long has lived what she says has been a "very amazing life", but she never expected to wake up one day in her 60s and feel a desire to host her own art exhibition.

From raising millions for charity, being friends with football legend Sir Bobby Robson, to being appointed MBE, she has had a long varied career.

In 2020, it was global superstar and Suffolk's own Ed Sheeran who opened her eyes to the world of art and she began dabbling with paint from her Bury St Edmunds home.

The 64-year-old has since created more than 30 pieces of work ready for her debut exhibition, Square Peg Round Hole, being held for free at St Edmundsbury Cathedral on Wednesday and Thursday.

Six years ago, Sheeran donated one of his first abstract paintings to Long to auction for her charity work.

At the time, the painting, called Dab 2, was the only artwork Sheeran had made available for public sale, and it fetched £40,000 .

Inspired by Sheeran's abstract paintwork, Long transformed her greenhouse into a studio, and she said the rest was history.

"I woke up two and a half years ago and said to my husband Andrew 'I've got to paint Square Peg Round Hole', and that is truly how it has begun," she explained.

"It's all been so organically lovely, but a complete revelation in my life.

"I, in no way, thought in my latter years I would be an artist."

Long said this new chapter, and specifically this exhibition, had been about "painting the harsh, messy truth about life" and was for those who had felt out of place.

"I often say, I've lived a very amazing life, and I've failed at times, and I've succeeded," she continued.

"But I've rarely neatly fitted, and so on my canvas is the messy truth about real life."

The exhibition at the cathedral features 32 artworks, each with bold colours and interlocking squares and circles.

Helping set it up has been Emma Roodhouse, who was recently involved in curating the John Constable Hay Wain exhibition at Ipswich's Christchurch Mansion.

Long's main message is one of empowerment and she encouraged people to "put your head above the parapet".

"I hope it speaks to anyone also who's ever felt out of place, out of depth, and celebrating the act of simply showing up as yourself despite the pressures not to do so," she added.

Long was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2015 for charitable services, having raised more than £9m over the decades.

A close friend of Sir Bobby, who died in 2009 from cancer, she also created the Sir Bobby Auction in his memory to raise money for charities, including the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation.

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