Category: Art

Hello Cheeky is the first solo show from talented young London based illustrator Hattie Stewart, who we interviewed a year ago in Amelia's Magazine. It opens on the 28th March at the Brighton based No Walls Gallery.

Best known for her tongue in cheek 'doodle-bombed' magazine covers that are part satire, part adoration, Hattie has adorned such influential and iconic publications as The Face, Vogue, ID, Dazed and Confused, Interview, Rolling Stone and Playboy along with developing a client list that includes House of Holland, Marc Jacobs and Adidas.

Hello Cheeky will include a collection of brand new doodle bombed covers along with a selection of new illustrations and prints and is the second show in No Walls new building, a former 19th century funeral parlour in Brighton’s cultural quarter – opened earlier this year with The Megamunden Show, a solo show with British illustrator Megamunden.

In a short space of time, No Walls has developed a reputation as one of the UK's leading independent galleries, turning the traditional gallery model on it's head in the process and growing a roster of artists that includes Ben Eine, Sickboy, Ben Frost and Hayden Kays.

Opening hours: mon – sat, 11am to 7pm

Category: Art

Orso Major Gallery presents 'Drawing Inspiration' an exhibition featuring the work of artists Sarah Hamilton and Gabriela Szulman who produce art across different disciplines including prints, drawings, paintings, ceramics and jewellery. These two mid career London based artists share a passion for vibrant colour and the fragmentation and reassembly of images. The exhibition showcases work across different media giving a narrative to pieces which could otherwise be seen as unconnected by focussing on the relationship between drawing, painting, and product design. Both artists have a strong following and regularly work to commission.

Sarah Hamilton's work has a hint of the Mid-Century Modern about it yet it remains contemporary and fresh. Her deceptively simple images start as delicate pencil drawings, and from sketchbooks that are filled with drawings by hand or digitally printed, they complement her colourful prints and collages. She is inspired by a love of natural forms, Folk Art and 1950's design. Hamilton trained at Central St Martins and Camberwell College of Art. She has produced numerous private commissions and her work has been featured in magazines from Ideal Home to World of Interiors. Her work most recently appeared in Country Home magazine,
last week.

Gabriela Szulman's work is inspired by the nature of memories. Over the years she has saved family photographs, letters, technical manuals and womens magazines from the 1940s and 50s. Her work is a blend of painting and digital media where she uses acrylic paints, inks and watercolours with digital print onto paper and canvases, to create collages and prints. She has extended this practice into a line of jewellery with miniature prints set under glass. Szulman trained in 3D design at Camberwell College of Arts and later in Printmaking at the University of Brighton. She exhibits widely and is currently preparing for a solo show in Buenes Aires in June 2014.

Opening Times: Tues to Friday 11am-6pm, Saturday 11am to 3pm

Category: Art

With a passion for the weird and wonderful, Atomica gallerists Holly Lander and Orla Bennett have spent the last year championing a huge range of unorthodox contemporary art. Lowbrow, Pop-Surrelism, New Contemporary, Mid-Century, Polynesian Pop, illustration, modern folk, tattoo artistry and plenty more in-between can be found at Atomica Gallery, with 'Vision Quest' being a reflection of this eclectic and unique mix. For their anniversary show Atomica are bringing together new work by several of their mainstay artists, many of whom have never shown before in the UK.

Femke Hiemstra, Oeuf Surprise.

Christopher Conn Askew, Kingyo.

Expect femme fatales, magic, seduction, kaleidoscopic colour and stunning artistry! Vision Quest opens on 17th April 2014 at the gallery’s brand new space in Seven Dials, Covent Garden. Join the Facebook event here.

Ricardo Cavolo, Adventure Time.

Ryan Heshka, night clubbing.

Tom Bagshaw, Earthbound.

Opening Hours: Mon – Fri 12-7pm, Sat – 12-6pm, Sun – 12-5pm

Category: Art

The iconic Bussey Building in Peckham is playing host to the Crafty Fox Market over the weekend of 12th – 13th April 2014, with a different line up of hand-picked traders setting up shop each day. Pay a visit and meet the amazing creatives behind the products which have been hand picked by two guest curators: myself and David Nicholls, Design Editor of the Telegraph Magazine. I helped to pick the traders for the Peckham market, whilst David Nicholls helped choose them for the Brixton one, which takes place on 26th – 27th April at The Dogstar.

You can also enjoy workshops from sewing studio, Sew Over It (make fabric covered earrings) and the crafty team behind Think, Make, Do (bunting making). The wonderful Mr Wingate will be there offering you the chance to design and screen-print a tote bag and the ladies from Betty & Walter will be offering fabric stamping to get the creative juices flowing. To whet your appetite here's a sample of some of the traders who will be taking part:

Vic Lee (Saturday 12th April), a talented local illustrator who creates intricate artworks inspired by the streets of London.

YoYo Ceramics (Saturday 12th April), play around with shape and form to create useable items for the home. They will be showcasing their popular ‘Is that Plastic?’ range.

Anna Wiscombe (Sunday 13th April) makes beautiful handmade wooden products inspired by nature which include jewellery and homewares.

Jonna X Kangan (Sunday 13th April) is a collaboration between textile designers Jonna Saarinen and Kangan Arora. They make bold, colourful hand-screen printed home wares and kitchen textiles, in their South London studio.

Entry is free and children are welcome. The market runs 12 – 5pm on both days. Browse the full trader listings and start planning your shopping for Saturday 12th April here and Sunday 13th April here.

Category: Art

The much-loved Crafty Fox Market returns to The Dogstar in Brixton on 26th & 27th April. Each day sees a whole new set of designer makers setting up shop in the atmospheric pub venue. Traders were selected by guest curator, David Nicholls, Design Editor of the Telegraph Magazine.

Shoppers can satisfy their creative appetites with screen-printing workshops led by Mr Wingate, and quench their thirsts with a pint in the bar or tea and cake by The Tea’s Knees in the tea room, consumed amid a soundtrack of live DJ sets. Climb the stairs to the 2nd floor to discover fresh creative talent taking part in the new ‘Crafty Fox Uncovered’ section of the market, a bespoke area for those who are new to market trading. Look out for…..

Sabrina Kaici (Saturday 26 April) is a French artist living in London. She produces artworks using a technique called pointillism, using tiny dots to form whole pieces.

Duck Ceramics (Saturday 26 April). Fine art graduate Alice makes quirky, wonky, beautiful ceramics for the home from her London studio.

Hairy Jayne (Sunday 27 April). Jayne is a hairdresser who brews her own range of products with her own fair hands at a studio in Brixton, south London. Inspired by traditional hair care remedies used worldwide, the range is made from naturally derived ingredients which are specifically hair friendly and get the best results.

The Wandering Castle (Sunday 27 April – Crafty Fox Uncovered). Laura Vanderslott started making silver jewellery through evening courses in her spare time and it soon became her passion. She makes silver and gold plated jewellery. Individual pieces are designed to be layered together.

Entry is free and children are welcome. Doors open at 11am on both days with goodies for the early birds. You can browse the full selection of traders taking part for Saturday 26 April here and Sunday 27 April here.

Category: Art

Romany artist Delaine LeBas exposes the hidden history of UK Gypsies, in a new exhibition at the Phoenix Brighton gallery. With a reputation across Europe for work that confronts stereotypes and addresses issues around the outsider in society, it is fitting that Delaine LeBas’ first major solo UK show draws our attention to the little known treatment of Gypsies closer to home.

In the first half of the 20th century the British Government built makeshift compounds in the New Forest to contain Gypsy families. At Phoenix Arts in Brighton Delaine LeBas will recreate and occupy her own version of these compounds in an immersive installation made up of her own hand printed and embroidered textiles and costumes alongside photography, film and archival material. Two glass and metal lanterns from the collection of Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford serve as the central metaphor and catalyst for this new body of work. Resembling similar lamps from India, these ones were made in the New Forest and remind the artist of the ‘magic lantern’ shows her grandmother and great uncles recounted from their childhood in Hampshire. These artefacts will be brought back to life through Delaine’s stories, performances and activities.

Delaine LeBas is a UK based artist from a Romany background. Although only beginning to become known in Britain she has shown in France, Baltimore USA, at the 2005 and 2007 Prague Biennales. Her work featured prominently in the first Roma pavilion at the Venice Biennale in 2007 and in Korea’s Gwangju Biennale. Her work has recently been seen at Galerie Giti Nourbaksch, Berlin and at Galleria Sonia Rosso, Turin. Unusually for an artist considered to be an ‘Outsider’ she is a graduate of Central Saint Martins and West Sussex College of Art and Design.

By it's very nature Delaine LeBas’ work is both intensely personal and deeply political, informed by her gypsy background and dealing with issues of exclusion, untold stories and stereotypes that are ingrained into the human consciousness. Delaine explains ‘As a Romany, my viewpoint has always been that of the outsider and this position of the 'other' is reflected in the materials and messages within my work. We live in a culture of mixed values and garbled messages. My works are crafted from the disregarded and disparate objects of the car boot sale and the charity shop. A bricollage of materials. Employing the materials of everyday, all formed together in a manner that allows them to be precious yet reclaimed.’

Opening times: Wed – Sun, 11am – 5pm, Late openings: Fri 16th & Sat 17th May until 9 pm
Find out more about her upcoming exhibition at this link.

Category: Art

A Marvellous Spread is a pop-up feasting event hosted by the ceramic sculptor Lindsey Mendick at the Sheffield based gallery, S1 Artspace. Mendick’s practice is greatly inspired by the garishly saturated and overzealous 1970s cookbooks of her childhood. Her ceramic work amalgamates a love of popular culture with a deep respect for the nostalgic, exploring themes ranging from the ostentatious decorative recipes of Mary Berry to outlandish 1980s textile design.

Zig a zig ah 2013, Lindsey Mendick.

Still life of lobster 2014, Lindsey Mendick.

For this one off event, Lindsey Mendick will be hosting a truly grandiose banquet, cooking (with the help of her mother) the most extravagant and gaudy recipes from 1970’s cookbooks. Guests will be welcomed on arrival with a Pina Colada reception and sent into the night with a DIY disco. Join the facebook event here.

Heaven's Mouth 2014, Lindsey Mendick.

Todd 2014, Lindsey Mendick.

Category: Music

Fire in the Mountain festival (Tan Yn Y Mynydd in Welsh!) initially came together because a group of friends fell in love with a beautiful old farm in Mid Wales. The owner of the farm kept some horses and a local lad some pigs, and both thought a wonderful way of sharing the farm and getting some more use out of it would be to host a small annual event. Thus, the gathering was born. Now a registered not-for-profit organisation, the Festival is staffed completely voluntarily, and raises money to help maintain and renovate the beautiful farm on which it is set. The landscape sets the tone of the festival – set up as half camp and half festival, it's about spending a weekend in a beautiful part of the country with friends and some good ol' fashioned music and ale.

Now in it's fourth year, Fire in the Mountain has gone all out and booked their favourite band in the world to headline the festival. To those in the know The Foghorn Stringband (Portland, Oregon, USA) are the finest exponents of Appalachian Old Time Music – with a career spanning over 15 years and 10 albums. Their authenticity is a massive inspiration to thousands of musicians across the globe. To the uninitiated – it's simply ass-kicking red-neck hillbilly dance music.

Fire in the Mountain Festival seeks to present a balanced line up of folk, roots and acoustic music – booking funkier artists not always recognised by the mainstream music establishment. You'll find Welsh Language arists, Cajun, Breton, Appalachian, English Folk, Celtic, African Roots Music, and all sorts. Joining the bill this year as headliners are Martha Tilston and the Scientists, John Smith, Mik Artistik (Leeds), Fernhill (Wales), Sheelanagig (Bristol), and even a spot of indie with Gulp.

In addition to music you'll find a host of activities and workshops on offer, including family activities, free music and dance workshops in the Trad Academy Yurt and Healing Field, fresh pizza from handmade Cob Ovens, wood fired saunas and hot tubs… all washed down with lovely local ales and Welsh Mountain Cider.

The campsite is open from 30th May – 1st June, so why not make the most of the beautiful environment and explore the Cambrian Mountains. Find out more at www.fireinthemountain.co.uk, where you can watch a short video showcasing the stunning location.

Category: Art

Must see arts festival Pick Me Up returns for the fifth year running, featuring more late nights and an even wider range of illustration and design, from fashion and architectural drawing to comic books and album covers. Here's a brief taster of what will be happening:

Rastamouse creators Michael de Souza and Genevieve Webster will be leading children’s drawing workshops.

Judith Kerr (creator of the Mog series and The Tiger Who Came To Tea) will be hosting an ‘in conversation’ event with her art director Ian Craig.

Fabulous and much loved cartoonist Gemma Correll will be running a day inspired by her inimitable portrayals of animals.

Skylark, Matt Lyon at Colour Box.

Hot Dog, Steven Wilson at Unlimited.

Woolly Bear, Julia Pott.

Fashion is finally in focus this year! Hurrah!

Meet art director and animator Jo Ratcliffe, who drew and directed the animation in Lady Gaga’s ‘Applause’ video.

Fashion illustrator Daisy de Villeneuve (she of the ubiquitous funky felt-tip illustrations), will be leading a day of drop-in fashion focused fun.

Fashion artist and author Jason Brooks will be running a day of workshops.

Aso Oke, Kitty McCall at Unlimited.

Melons On My Mind, Lynnie Zulu.

New for 2014 is Pick Me Up Radio presented by Comms Bureau, which will stream live from Somerset House. With specially invited DJs, interviews and take-over days, festivalgoers will be able to see the radio broadcasts being put together live and listen online remotely. Furthermore for the first time, Pick Me Up is collaborating with signature skate brand DC Shoes to commission t-shirts from ten artists to be exclusively launched and sold at the festival. The dazzling designers involved include former Pick Me Up Select and professional doodler Hattie Stewart (read our interview here) and Andy Rementer (who we have also interviewed here), whose colourful and vibrant work has been featured through a variety of platforms including MTV, Urban Outfitters and Warner Brothers.

Clogs, Hvass & Hannibal at Outline Artists.

Sundance, Jessica Das at Outline Artists.

Moondance, Jessica Das at Outline Artists.

This, and much much more, including work by Outline Artists illustrators, who will present a jungle-themed showcase of prints, original artwork and wall murals created especially for the fair, including magical forest landscapes by Hvass&Hannibal, psychedelic jungle scenes by Pick Me Up Select Edward Carvalho-Monaghan plus extravagant jungle flora and fauna 3D collages by Kristjana S Williams. All work will be available to buy from just £40.

Lear 10, Kristjana S Williams at Outline Artists.

Kids, Ed Monaghan at Outline Artists.

Opening times: 10.00 – 18.00, late night Thursdays and Fridays until 22.00, Day tickets £10, concessions £8, Festival Pass £17.50. Buy your tickets here. Find out more about the event here.

Read my reviews of the 2013 Pick Me Up here and here to whet your appetite.

Category: Art

The Gentle Author has recently published local photographer Phil Maxwell's thirty year study of ordinary life in the East end's legendary Brick Lane, taking us through social and cultural shifts with intimate shots of the local population at work and at play. The photos are currently on display at the Rich Mix Cultural Centre situated at the top of Brick Lane.

Biography:
Phil was born in 1953 in Coventry, West Midlands. From an early age he was inspired by the people around him and had his first dalliance with photography at the tender age of eleven. He moved to East London and was quickly seduced by its vibrancy and influences from far flung countries. Over the span of 30 years he incessantly photographed and hence documented the lives of those in his own proximity, saying that 'During my life in Whitechapel I have been introduced to a wide variety of cultures and friends, which in turn have inspired me to travel. I have photographed in Bangladesh and other parts of Asia many times, although the centre of gravity in my work has always been the East End of London. My home is a tower block in Whitechapel. Over the years, from my flat on the eleventh floor, I have watched as the skyline of the city resonated with growth and demolition. In the early eighties, Canary Wharf emerged in the East as a solitary foot soldier for Capitalism and then the City of London itself began to expand. Yet whilst the corporate development gathered speed, the lives of people on my side of Brick Lane carried on as usual.'

Phil Maxwell will be giving a talk on Brick Lane at the Bishopsgate Institute on 10th April at 7:30pm and Waterstones Piccadilly on 14th May at 7pm. Both events are free. Find out more here.