Tag: Greater Manchester

Preview of Why I Draw, Bolton

 

I had a fantastic time this afternoon at the opening of “Why I Draw” at Hive Gallery in Bolton. A huge thank you to curator Andy Smith for his incredible technical expertise and for inviting me to be part of such a wonderful, diverse group of artists. Thank you also to Hive Gallery for being exceptional hosts—your space is both stunning and welcoming—and to Alison Timmins for her invaluable assistance and last-minute tweaks that brought my projection piece to life. You’re all amazing!

If you’re in Bolton on a Friday or Saturday between now and 1st March, I highly recommend stopping by. The gallery is open from 1–5pm, and it’s well worth a visit!

Photos 2 and 5 appear courtesy of Jeffrey Knopf.

Why I Draw – Twelve Artists Explain

Opening on Saturday, 18th January 2025, at Hive Gallery in Bolton, this group exhibition highlights artists who incorporate drawing as a vital element in their creative practice. Each participant was invited to submit 1–3 pieces for curation, along with a written explanation of how this ancient and fundamental medium enhances—or is essential to—their work.

I’m thrilled to have my work featured alongside pieces by Alan Baker, James David Gibson, Bethan Hamilton, Maggie Hargreaves, Vicki Jones, Robert McLeod, Paddy O’Donnell, Radhika Parekh, Sam, Esther Womack, and Matthew Wood. The exhibition will be open on Fridays and Saturdays from 1–5pm until 1st March 2025—don’t miss it!

Suite Open Studios… Coming Soon!

Suite warmly invites you to join us on the 6th and 7th of December, where mulled wine and nibbles will help keep the winter chill at bay. While I’ll only be there on Friday, the event is perfectly timed to coincide with the open studios at Hotbed Press, offering plenty to explore across multiple floors. It’s the perfect opportunity to drop by, have a chat, and soak up the creative atmosphere. We’d love to see you there!

I’ll also have a selection of works from my back catalogue available for purchase. Whether you’re treating yourself to a new piece of art or searching for the perfect gift, I’d be delighted to assist. Framing and delivery can be arranged upon request, making it even easier to bring a special piece into your home or share it with someone you care about.

Opening times: 6th December 5-9pm and 7th December 11-5pm

The Rose Project at Paradise Works

 

I had the pleasure of stopping by Paradise Works briefly this evening to experience Belinda Worsley’s installation, Rose is a Rose is a Rose, beautifully displayed in Jeffrey Knopf’s studio.

It was a joy to reconnect with familiar faces and meet so many new ones there. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who came for the engaging conversations, to Belinda for inviting me to be part of this inspiring project, and to Jeffrey for graciously hosting. I’m excited to see where the postcards travel to next!

Rose is a Rose is a Rose, Manchester at Paradise Works

 

Mark your calendars for Saturday, 16th November, when “Rose is a Rose is a Rose” opens its doors for a special one-day event, coinciding with the Manchester Contemporary and Paradise Works’ Open Studios in Salford.

From 3 PM to 9 PM, Belinda Worsley will showcase her captivating postcard project, accompanied by works from Steven Calver, Angela Tait, and Jeffrey Knopf in his studio space.

The works in the Rose Project draw inspiration from Gertrude Stein’s famous line, “A rose is a rose is a rose,” a simplified form of the phrase from her 1913 poem Sacred Emily. Often interpreted as a reflection of the law of identity (“A is A”), the quote suggests that things are simply what they are. Stein believed that naming something evokes the emotions and imagery associated with it, an idea central to broader philosophical debates on universals—where thinkers like Peter Abelard used the rose to explore how language conveys meaning.

With my own work focused on the challenges of communication and the complexities of language, I created a couple of postcards reflecting these themes in connection to Stein’s quote. Be sure to look out for my text-based contributions amid the beautiful array of roses on display!

Bury Open 2023, “Passage” Interactions

Great to have the opportunity to return and see the interactions which have taken place during the third and final stencilling of my piece.

I find it exciting to see the different kinds of mark making and the interplay they have with the letterforms preceding them – you never know what will happen to the piece next! Special thanks to Usie Isaac for the final picture (taken on the 20th January). The other pictures were from my visit on 4th January.

Open 2023, Preview at Bury Art Museum and Sculpture Centre

Really enjoyable and absolutely packed preview this evening for the Open 2023. Huge thank you to the judges Paulette Brien, Mike Chavez-Dawson, Tony Heaton and Jez Dolan for selecting my work and to all the team at Bury Art Museum for their hard work in bringing everything together so beautifully!

If you weren’t able to make it to the preview, there is still plenty of time to catch the pieces there as the show is on until the 3rd February 2024.

Two works selected for Bury Open 2023

Really happy to have received news that a couple of my works have been selected for Open 2023 at Bury Art Museum. This is the museum’s first ever open exhibition and it will be showing the best of the North West as selected by a panel of highly esteemed judges:

Paulette Brien (Curator – Grundy Art Gallery, Blackpool), Mike Chavez-Dawson (Artist/Curator), Jez Dolan (Artist) and Tony Heaton OBE (Artist).

The OPEN 2023 Preview & Prize Giving is due to take place on Friday 20 October from 18:00-21:00. The show will run from 21st October 2023 – 3rd February 2024 with most works available to purchase.

Upcoming show: Live with It at Mura Ma, Marple

Delighted to share news that I will be participating in Live with It (an artist-activated home environment):

“Somewhere between an expanded still life and a stage set – an invitation to participate in an imagined occupancy. Mise-en-scene.”

“A lived-in house is animated by assorted daylight practicalities: the tasks and furnishings associated with eating, cleaning, sleeping, revolving arrangements of domestic clutter; the comings and goings of friends, lovers, children, and relatives; or the intricate rituals of the solitary dweller.”

Co-curated by Jane Fairhurst and Nan Collantine, this exhibition will give way to an interior space furnished and inhabited with items made and found by thirty artists.

Jane Fairhurst and Kat Button will be activating the space with soft sculptures. There will also be items that carve up the space to create inner rooms and furniture pieces to denote the uses for each space. From these, the installation will be built in the gallery from the artworks and objects brought in by the artists.  Both artworks and objects will be available to buy from 2nd September – 21st October 2023.

The artists’ home is “a boundary between the world at large and the private centre, as a container of the everyday, and as an activated environment”.

Private View of Northern Lights: A New Light Retrospective

This evening saw the opening of Northern Lights, a celebration of the prize exhibition’s tenth year in operation.

New Light was initially established to provide exhibition opportunities for artists in the region (especially those using traditional media), and the show at Saul Hay was held to present new work from previous prize winners. Unfortunately due to an administrative error I was marked as not being able to participate in the show and my piece was therefore missed in the catalogue.

You can view my piece “Lockdown 2.0” along with work of other prize winners Diana Armstrong, Karolina Szymkiewicz, David Chandler, Christopher Cook, Joshua Waterhouse, Anna Poulton, Joanna Whittle, Sarah Harris, James Naughton, Vic Harris, Ian Brooks, Nat Quinn, Mandy Payne, Josie Jenkins, Emma Lawrenson, Jo Taylor, Deborah Grice, Neil Bousfield, Rhea Sherriff-Hammond, Gavin Watson, Jan Huntley Peace, Linnet Rubaya, Christian Alexander Bailey, Alan Stones and Ben Ark.

The show will run from from 26th March – 17th April 2022.