About Triptych Course

Triptych Course is a residential art programme offering week-long intensives in exceptional settings across the UK and Europe. Held across Europe, the courses provide artists with the rare opportunity to dedicate themselves entirely to their practice — uninterrupted, immersive, and fully supported.

Each Triptych Course brings together a small group of 8–12 artists to live and work alongside a guest tutor of significant professional standing. Over six days, participants are given the time, space, and structure to focus wholly on making — away from everyday demands and distractions. Daily one-on-one feedback, technical input, shared meals, and critical conversation create a rhythm of working that is both intensive and deeply generative.

The courses are designed not only to advance the technical and conceptual development of each participant, but also to foster a sense of artistic community. Many artists return year after year, and each course is shaped by the collective energy of those involved.

A Family-Led Initiative

Triptych was founded as a family-led endeavour.

Shamil, is the founder and operational lead of Triptych Course. As chef, producer, and general facilitator, he oversees the extensive behind-the-scenes work that allows the courses to function smoothly. From sourcing materials and preparing studios to managing communications, booking transport, and planning menus, he ensures that every detail is considered. During the course week itself, Shamil cooks breakfast, lunch, and dinner for the group — working with locally sourced, seasonal ingredients to provide nourishing and thoughtful meals. His role is to create the conditions in which artists can focus entirely on their work.

Eugenie, painter, educator and mother, has historically been the lead tutor on the courses. With a background that bridges Russian icon painting and contemporary abstraction, she brings a wealth of teaching experience and a deeply intuitive, rigorous approach to the studio.

Sal, director and cinematographer brother to Shamil documents each course, capturing both the intensity of studio life and the subtleties of shared experience in beautiful and evocative form.

The Ethos

Triptych is built on the belief that time, space, and structure are essential to artistic growth. Unlike shorter workshops or part-time programmes, the immersive format offers a rare opportunity to work in a sustained and focused way, with hands-on feedback, group conversation, and mutual support forming the backbone of the experience.

Each course is shaped by the vision and teaching approach of a selected artist-tutor. Tutors are invited not only for their professional accomplishments, but for their ability to meaningfully engage with and support the development of others.

The environment — whether it's the rolling fields of the British countryside or the architectural drama of a Tuscan villa — is integral to the overall sense of retreat on the course, providing a visually rich landscape for the artists to feed off.

Artists arrive to fully prepared studios: materials are sourced in advance, boards are gessoed and ready to use, food and wine are on the table, and every logistical need is taken care of. This freedom from everyday demands allows artists to live, think, and work with rare intensity.

Minor Arts: Supporting the Next Generation

From the outset, Triptych was conceived as a dual-structure project: a for-profit programme supporting a non-profit initiative. In 2025, this second arm — Minor Arts — launched as a platform for emerging artists in their 20s and 30s.

Minor Arts is focused on long-form residencies that support technical skill-building, critical dialogue, and collective inquiry. Its pilot programme brought together 12 early-career artists for several weeks of studio time, mentorship, and collaborative development. Led by artist-educators Jack Laver and Alex Carey Morgan, the residency concluded with a group exhibition and critical feedback session, marking a significant step forward for each participant’s practice.

Crucially, this inaugural Minor Arts residency was fully funded by Triptych Course. Despite operating at a financial loss, the team chose to prioritise the work of establishing a viable structure for future iterations. Plans are now underway to link the two programmes more directly, through shared exhibitions, cross-generational mentorship, patron support, and collaborative programming.

The Team

Triptych remains a small, independent operation, shaped by the diverse skills and sensibilities of its young team:

  • Shamil — Founder, chef, and director of operations; oversees all aspects of course production and delivery.

  • Sal — Director/DOP; documents courses as photographer and videographer, with a focus on storytelling through image.

  • Isaac — Chef; works closely with Shamil to develop menus that are rooted in local produce and designed to support the rhythm of each course.

  • Ilona & Blue — Programme development and strategic growth; focusing on the expansion of Minor Arts and cross-pollination between the two arms of the organisation. They’re working to expand its institutional partnerships and fundraising capacity, specifically considering strategy, identity, and outreach — helping to articulate the mission of Minor Arts.

Looking Ahead

Triptych is still young, and continues to grow organically. As the team expands, so too does the ambition: to build a network of artists and supporters who understand the importance of immersive learning, rigorous studio practice, and shared creative life.

At the centre of everything remains the belief that when artists are given time, care, and proper conditions, meaningful work can happen — and that such work, in turn, can sustain and inspire others.