Tag: Preview

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!

Falling Faintly, Faintly Falling Opening Soon

A collection of artists postcards and selected larger works inspired by James Joyce’s short story “The Dead” will be on display from Friday 10th January until 1st February. Hosted by “They Come, They Sit, They Go” and Finch Café; the exhibition is co-curated by Caroline McCambridge and Belinda Worsley.

Join them for a magical soirée of performance, poetry, and perfume, featuring Katie Houston, Bernard Walsh, Lucy Dixon, Clare Jarrett, and Rosa Mat. Here, you will also be able to experience “Narnia”, a bespoke scent created especially for the show by Steven Calver.

The opening event takes place on Friday, 10th January, at Finch Cafe, 12 Sidworth Street, London E8 3SD, from 6–9pm. All are welcome!

Sadly, I won’t be able to attend due to work commitments but will be there in spirit.

Preview night: Paper Cuts at 50MV

What a fantastic evening in Crosby! A huge thank you to Luke Skiffington for being an incredible host, and to everyone who came out to support the Paper Cuts 2 show.

If you couldn’t make it, there’s still time to catch the exhibition. It’s open by appointment from December 1st to December 3rd. All artwork is available for purchase through the gallery and online.

AIR Gallery Preview at Rogue Studios

Enjoyed a fantastic evening at the AIR Open tonight! Now in its seventh year, this year’s exhibition is the largest yet, showcasing 58 works by contemporary artists from around the world. The collection spans diverse media including video art, drawing, sculpture, textiles, and mixed media. Additionally, a digital showcase featuring the longlisted artists is available on the AIR Open website.

The exhibition runs from August 16 to September 21, and visitors are invited to cast their votes for their favorite pieces. This year’s lineup features talented artists such as:

Aimee Spilsted, Alex Aiton, Amelia Frances Wood, ANDI, Archie Leigh-Jones, Becky Moon, Bethan Hamilton, Bill Psarras, Chris Lewtas, Ciarrai MacCormac, Craig Fisher, Daniel H Bell, Enxi Liu, Gareth Cairns, Hang Zhang, Helen Davies, Jay Ottewell, Julie Cassels, Justine Lesage, Kate Street, Katy Mason, Kelan Andrews, Laura Nathan, Lucy Ridges, Lucy Waters, Lois Hopwood, Luke Skiffington, Lula Braimbridge, Marc Renshaw, Marie Jones, Nicola Bolton, Nigel Grimmer, Nisaa Saeed Raja, Rachel Ackroyd, Ramon Omolają Adeyemi, Ruby Tingle, Sam Owen Hull, Sara Hindhaugh, Simon Leahy-Clark, Steve Sutton, Tom Motley, and Vincent James.

Definitely a must-see in Manchester for the summer!

 

AWOL / Comme Ca Open 2024 – First Prize Winner

Thrilled to share the news from this evening that I am the recipient of AWOL / Comme Ca Open 2024 First Prize award. It was such a wonderful surprise! Many thanks to the selection panel and the judges Sean Williams, Ceri Morgan and Short Supply for the honour, it is greatly appreciated.

Also a big thank you to all at AWOL and Comme Ca for the seamless curation of work and making the event one to remember. Special mentions for David French, Jude Wainwright, Claire Turner and last (but by no means least), Cass Art for the fantastic goodie bags you provided to all artists, the vouchers I received as part of my prize and the opportunity to show in your Manchester gallery (can’t wait to get planning!).

Delighted for the lovely Laura Nathan too with her highly commended award! Many congratulations to her; very well deserved for her strikingly beautiful and poignant piece.

Photo appears courtesy of Jude Wainwright.

AWOL / Comme Ca 2024 Open Call Preview

A few pictures from the AWOL/Comme Ca Art Open 2024 preview. Had such a fantastic evening! Many great conversations with beautiful people amongst a gorgeous, eclectic selection of work. It must’ve been a huge challenge to narrow down the 200 odd entries to 22 artists!

 

The show is open to the public at Hope Mill from the 18th May and runs until Sat 22nd June 2024 (Opening times are Wednesday and Thursday 11-4pm & Sat 11-2pm). Plenty of time to catch it if you are about in the area! If you are new to the space, the gallery at Hope Mill is amazing too – great light with wonderful views of Ancoats and beyond. Highly recommend a visit!

Manchester Open 2024, HOME

Wonderful evening catching up with a number of familiar faces and meeting new ones at the Manchester Open 2024 (a few of whom are captured here).

It was too busy to really see the work properly so I will head back in the not too distant future for a closer look! The show is open until Sunday 28th April so there is plenty of time to see a snapshot of what Manchester’s creative scene has to offer. A catalogue of participating artists is available here.

Many thanks to Ruby Knopf who has kindly given me permission to share a couple of her photos of the evening.

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.

Tees Preview at Rogue Artists’ Studios

 

Doors opened at Rogue Studios this weekend for the Tees “shop”. If you have been unable to make it this weekend, the show is open by appointment or between 12-4pm on Saturdays. All T-shirts are available to purchase (including the ones I made).

The catalogue from the show is available here (although the information I supplied did not make it in for some reason so I will supply it here instead).

Title of the diptych and medium:

“Mind the Gap”, unique recycled fabric embellishments on sustainable cotton shirts.

What was the idea behind the T-shirt: 

Language is a powerful tool. When adopted by artists, it is utilised to interrogate the political, social and cultural landscape. Its position on t-shirts is no different. Through the use of text, we are drawn to question how we think, feel, function, judge, and differ from one another.

With this premise in mind I was inspired to create a piece exploring text as a direct (or rather indirect) form of communication. I was interested in how material usage and approach can be harnessed to create emphasis, drawing subtle references for those who decode it.

I decided to recycle and repurpose fast fashion slogan T-shirts sourced from charity shops, in order to highlight the waste generated by the industry through such “joke” products and comment on the duplicitous actions of some suppliers.

Price of T-Shirt:

£200 each