My painting ‘Night Flowers’ was recently used on the cover of Nightwatch Croydon’s 2024 annual report. They are a charity founded by members of the community in Croydon who were concerned about homelessness. Still entirely voluntary, they have been running for more than forty years. Amongst their activities is a meeting point, staffed every evening of the year, where there give basic help with food and clothing and address the more profound needs of their clients.
Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2024
My two paintings: ‘East Bridge House (Turn Left)’ and ‘More Than One’ have been selected for the Royal Academy of Art’s Summer Exhibition 2024, coordinated by sculptor Ann Christopher RA and her committee of leading British artists and architects.
Both works are in the same room (gallery VII), curated by Anne Desmet RA, look great on the grey walls and have lovely neighbours to keep them company over the Summer. The show opened its doors on Tuesday 18th June, and will be closing on Sunday 18th August 2024.
Solastalgia Exhibition at Turf Projects
I am taking part in a group exhibition called Solastalgia at Turf Projects, Croydon.
“Solastalgia occurs when someone feels a sense of anxiety, grief, or loss due to the degradation or alteration of their home environment. It is the inability to find solace in one’s surroundings.”
The end of 2023 marked Turf Projects’ 10 year anniversary. It has been a time to look back at the journey the organisation has been on, celebrating all that we’ve achieved; and also to look forward to the space we are yet to carve out, the Croydon of the future we would like to create.
Following on from themes from our last programme ’Desire Paths’, and linking in to Turf’s year of ‘demystification’, Turf staff, studio holders, and collective members have contributed works to a group show exploring our relation to home, to sense of belonging, to Croydon and space – or lack thereof.
‘Solastalgia’ incorporates the work of 21 artists and groups to create a communal Croydon folklore; some works that celebrate our shared space, and some that show longing for those that have been lost.
My large scale drawing (the largest I’ve done for a good few years) Dark Park is on display for the first part of the exhibition until 22nd March. From 23rd March to 27th April other pieces by me TBC will be on show.
26 Jan – 27 Apr 2024
Turf Projects, 46-47 Trinity Court, Whitgift Centre, Croydon CR01UQ
Free & open to all
Royal Society of British Artists 2024 Exhibition
I was very lucky to have been one of the non-members selected for the Royal Society of British Artists 2024 Exhibition.
Here’s my work ‘February’ that Croydonians may also recognise from the banners hanging from lamp posts in and around the town (See previous post). Not surprisingly there were lots of great pieces by the artists at the exhibition at The Mall Galleries. There is now an online catalogue to view the show here.
Art On The Streets Of Croydon
My paintings have been blown up (onto banners) as part of a town-wide art installation in central Croydon.
Three designs of lamp-post banners - featuring slices of my paintings ‘February’, ‘People’ and ‘Night Flowers’ are now hanging up and repeated on the High Street and elsewhere in Croydon. Alongside them are some other really bright, eye-catching works on banners by local creatives Miguel Sopena, Divya Sharma, Skye Baker and Melanie Russell. The Creative Croydon initiative set up by Croydon BID has returned to Croydon town centre this Winter creating an open-air art gallery for people to enjoy.
Thanks so much to Julia at 31% Wool and the Check Out Croydon team for making this happen. Thanks to Glenn Foster for taking these photographs, too. The whole display of work is up until April 2024.
For more background to the project visit Croydonist.