5 shows in 6 days: SWA, CBPP, Jenny Saville, Eva Lane & Dive…
Welcome to my photo-diary from a week of top contemporary art, showing and viewing in London and Bristol🌞
Society of Women Artists
Taking in the room on arrival, I felt a rush of joyful pride at the artwork, and appreciation for this community who truly understand stiff doors and systemic obstacles. As long as women artists lag behind in the art market, organisations that promote and advantage our art per se are a lifeline of solidarity and support.
I am hugely grateful to everyone who came to the SWA show in whatever capacity. If there were a prize for quantity and quality of visitors, I would have won it by a distance! I didn’t manage to catch photos with everyone, please email me if you can fill a gap in the album.
Helen Sinclair (sculptor president of the SWA) and the SWA committee laid on a brilliantly organised, vibrant show. Here are some photos - note two international artists whose work I particularly enjoyed: Huihua Bi from China, and Omma Moonfalk from Sweden.
The Private View at The Mall Galleries
This was my first time applying to the SWA open call, so I was lucky (knowing how selective they are, and the high number of entries) to have two paintings accepted: The Raft of The Medusa, and The Boy Who Played Cricket.
The Raft Models (click for info)
These wonderful people all modelled for my painting -it was brilliant to be able to get together and celebrate our collaboration.
The Boy Who Played Cricket (click for info)
It was an honour to welcome Nerve Tumours UK people Karen Cockburn (director) and Markus Bell (shown - marketing and communications manager) to the show. Amit - we missed you, but you were with us in spirit!
Here are a few of my wonderful visitors, artists with their work, and a tiny selection of the brilliant pieces in the show. Full catalogue to browse and buy. For the artists, just look them up, they’ve all got websites!
Huihua Bi (detail) View fullsize
Svetlana Semenova and Emma de Souza View fullsize
Anne Blankson-Hemans View fullsize
Heike Bauer and Diane Watt View fullsize
Asya Dudko View fullsize
Bristol visitors View fullsize
Camilla Dowse View fullsize
Curtis Holder View fullsize
Cathy Read View fullsize
Dave Cooke View fullsize
Deborah McLarnon-Riches View fullsize
Ginny Page, Cathy Read, Megan Hunter View fullsize
Izzi Reid and friends View fullsize
Laura Arenson View fullsize
Linda Brett View fullsize
Liz Watts and Yeside Linney View fullsize
Lou Chudley (Spark Social) View fullsize
Sally Ward, Suzanne Gibbs, Megan Hunter View fullsize
Tara O'Reilly, Michele Ashby, Omma Moonfalk View fullsize
Omma Moonfalk, Caroline dePeyrecave View fullsize
Roya Khalili View fullsize
Sally Ward and model son William View fullsize
Sally Ward and Yeside Linney View fullsize
Sophie Coe View fullsize
Svetlana Semenova View fullsize
Yeside Linney 🧡 View fullsize
Helen Sinclair (president) View fullsize
Tessa Jane, Anne Blankson-Hemans View fullsize
Anna Davey-Mitchell View fullsize
Tenisia James, Clare Creed, Alice Walpole - the 3 Graces View fullsize
I was very touched to see two members of the Mall Galleries catering staff (the ultimate connoisseurs!) spend a while discussing my painting.
It’s a small world
It was a great surprise to bump into Katherine Tyrell when she visited the show, coincidentally when Curtis Holder had dropped in (also a lovely surprise, as he was exhibiting at the CBPP, see below). Cue a lively conversation between us about the contemporary art scene, and a dedicated post from Katherine, which was a generous accolade. Sally Ward (above) painted Yeside Linney (above) for her supporting piece in the Portrait Artist Of The Year final. Here is Katherine Tyrell’s blog post about the final, which Curtis Holder (above and below) won!
The historian critic
I was thrilled to be visited by distinguished art historian Michael Ohajuru and his wife, artist Ebun Culwin. Sadly I wasn’t able to introduce Michael to Amit as planned, but we still managed a lively conversation about the references in The Raft Of The Medusa, and other things. Here is some great footage of Michael talking about de-centering whiteness, in a livestream hosted by The Courthauld, so you can imagine how delighted I was that my work had caught his eye.
Michael Ohajuru and Ebun Culwin
Friends and family
Being in London was a great chance to catch up with friends and family including two schoolfriends who I hadn’t seen for 40 years! The downside was that I HATE dressing up, but had to decide and pack outfits for the entire week in advance.
Outfit Of The Day View fullsize
Wardrobe consultant View fullsize
Schoolfriend View fullsize
Gallery-trotting partner View fullsize
Bright Young Thing View fullsize
Bristol crew on tour View fullsize
Schoolfriend View fullsize
4 fantastic shows
I was delighted to make it to four more shows that week - two in London, two in Bristol. Click on the images for links to the shows/artists.
Jenny Saville at NPG
While Saville is clearly into the act of painting, she explores the limits of drawing, of figurative representation, of the exposure of the evolution of a work, and the use of abstract marks (ref her deep engagement with Cy Twombly, arguably the boss of abstract drawn markmaking). As an artist, for me the benefit of the retrospective is that we can trace Saville experimenting with combining these strands over time, starting to make them all sing together in her latest pieces. Plus she’s a better figurative painter than Picasso ever was.
The CBPP in Brixton
All the coolest portrait artists are in this group. They hold a show every year, this one was full of absolute knock-outs. Click the photo for info
Curtis Holder at CBPP
Always making exciting new work, this abundant artist never ceases to amaze me with his ideas, skill, and joyfulness.
Emily Hadley and Suze Riley
Imagine being a gallerist in the UK and meeting an American artist online, and deciding to put on a joint show! Well, that’s what these two did, and Dive was the result. I was honoured to be their very last visitor, dipping for the line when I returned from London.
Eva Lane solo "All of my Favourite Things"
An awesome artist and life drawing buddy, about to head to Glasgow School Of Art. Eva threw a one-night only show - packed with greatness
Eva and Luna sketched in March
Apologies to those I’ve missed/not noted - please send corrections/omissions. Did you go? Please send any photos that would be good to include here. Tag me on social media, and share your thoughts in the comment section below, thank you!