Past exhibitions 2021
​

Israeli Contemporary Art
13-24 December 2021
Private View: Tuesday 14 December 6-9pm

In an age where man has become a programmer, undermining the humanity of our brains, and in light of technological advancement and the spirit-matter clash, with no precise formula in place, everything is up in the air, making it hard to define what is art.

As part of the creative process, the artist is faced with inner struggles and choices, which are supposed to bring her closer to herself, to evoke and unleash feelings, experiences and inhibitions, in the form of manifest or latent messages. By the end of this process, we, as viewers, are meant to connect by identifying a high level of emotion, manifested in colors, which reflect the inner, human aspect of the artists, as well as their high technical command, shot through with personal and universal contents.

This exhibition constitutes the coming-together of a team of artists, each with their own signature style and technique that set them apart as individuals and members in a group that represents Israeli art, putting forth the collective message: We are all human beings and must learn to live together.

And what better way than the culture of human creation, or a tool more efficient than the art that incorporates the creative spirit, reminding us that we are all just one big family?

As a curator, consultant and artistic director, and above all, as a human, I believe that art brings human hearts closer together, prompting our inner human artist, regardless of sex, race or religion.

It is my honour to serve as a curator and collaborator in a talented, diverse, unique group of artists who represent Israeli culture with their works, and evoke the creative and human spirit in the Israeli and universal culture.
(Rami Azzam, I.C.U. Art Director)

Participating artists:

Daniel Levy, Yaffa Wainer Politi, Shiran Ben Aharon Tsouk,
Dorit Mendelson, Rivka Nevo, Nava Grosman, Gili Wolman,
Miriam Van Den Berg, Ilana Sagi, Inbar Pianko, Nurit Rotbaum,
Sagi Erez, Michal Lapidot, Edna Barnea, Dvora Zelichov,
Liza Bardugo, Aviva Beitler, Iris Rosenberg, Alisia Urlang,
Tzivia Pouni, Ruthy Gold, Kineret Dvir, Miri Freud Mayblum,
Israel Tabakov, Ronit Sitbon, Zivia Lichtigstein, Fanny Horowitz,
Anat Alon, Liora Shaham, Bat-El Ariav Hakimi, Judith Barazani,
Gila Stein, Nira Tessler, Alla Dukhovny, Eti Maor,
Vered Hofton, Lea Lichtnaier, Menucha Cohn
​
Opening hours:
Tue-Sat 1-7pm
Sun 1-5pm

Islington Art Society’s Winter 2021 Exhibition
8-12 December 2021

Islington Art Society’s Winter 2021 Exhibition at the Espacio will be open to guests and public Tuesday 7th – Sunday 12th December. 
 
IAS is a lively, community based art society for established and emerging artists living in and around Islington. Members employ a wide range of styles and techniques including painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, mixed media and ceramics. Its 80th year has been celebrated with a newly published book of members’ work and IAS’ ongoing story, available at the exhibition. 
 
Opening hours: 
Tue-Sat 1-7pm
Sun 1-2pm    

http://islingtonartsociety.org.uk

UNLOCKED
30 November - 5 December 2021
Private Views:
Wed 1 December 3 - 7 pm
Thur 2 December 6 - 9 pm

UNLOCKED is an exhibition which showcases recent work by three
artists: Ali Shipton, Sally Manning and Karen Colley. Their work
includes paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture and reflects on
personal and artistic freedom.

Ali Shipton - works mostly from observation through the Circus of Life and Place. Her work is expressed through oils, acrylic and clay, and ranges in style, colour, beauty and fear. An emerging artist, always learning.

Sally Manning - uses erasure and redrawing, responding to elements of accident and surprise. Her work alternates between figurative and abstract and colour is an important part of her practice. Her recent paintings are developed using thick paint, colour and overpainting.

Karen Colley - makes predominantly drawing based work using different materials and approaches. Her recent work relates to views and memories of a familiar landscape which has become the subject for exploring space, media and abstract elements.

Exhibition Opening Hours:
Tue - Fri 1 - 7 pm
Sat 11 am - 6 pm
Sun 11 am - 4 pm

Private Views:
Wed 3 - 7 pm
Thur 6 - 9 pm

Beautiful World
23-28 Nov 2021
Private View: Thursday 25 November 6-9pm

In spite of everything that's going on at the moment, we still live in a Beautiful World. The question is whether we are doing our best to keep it that way. 

Participating artists:
Vera Akotuah
Cordeiro Almeida
Paul Butler
Sandrine Laure Dippa
Geraldo Frazão
Albert Lazslo Haines
Rosana Miracco
Simon North
Gerald Francis O’Dowd
Bev Sage
Julia Sullivan 
​Carole Thomas
​Meg Wroe
Thomas Young

Opening hours:
Tue-Sat 1-7pm
Thurs 4-9pm
Sun 1-5pm

Words to Live By
16-21 November 2021
Private View: Thursday 18 November 6-9pm

Words to Live is the latest exhibition from the Drawn Chorus Collective. Featuring illuminated wordplay, typographical personal mantras and gilded sign-writing, this show celebrates the combination of text and image, and the power of the two across a multitude of mediums.

The Drawn Chorus are an eclectic, multi-disciplinary collective of illustrators who have been working together since 2013 producing exhibitions, artbooks, anthologies and more. This will be our third show at the Espacio gallery - we hope you'll join us there!

For more of our work and updates on the show follow us online:
Twitter
Instagram

We encourage all visitors to wear a mask when visiting the gallery to help keep everybody safe.

Opening hours:
Tue, Wed, Fri, Sat 11am - 7:30pm
Thur 11am - 9pm
Sun 11am - 5pm

GARDENS OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS 
9-14 November 2021
Private Views: Tuesday 9 and Friday 12 - 6.30pm - 9pm

Androtechne presents a multi-disciplinary exhibition showcasing the work of 10 international artists inspired by The Garden of Earthly Delights by Hieronymus Bosch. 

Participating artists:
Jonathan Armour, Susie Breen, Brian Dennis,
Richard Dickson, Jamie Gallagher, Mark Ho, Sakib Khan, 
Graeme Messer, Georg Meyer-Wiel, Mathias Vef 

Opening Hours:
​Tuesday 9th November to Saturday 13th November - 1 pm - 7 pm
Sunday 14th - 1 pm - 5 pm 

​We encourage all our visitors to wear masks when attending the show in order to keep everyone safe.

LOOP 2021
Artists in Print
2-7 November 2021
Private View: Tuesday 2 November 6-9pm
Closing Party: Sunday 3 November 3-6pm

LOOP is a collective of nationally and internationally exhibiting artists who come together with the aim of presenting some of the best in new printmaking through yearly exhibitions. The exhibitions have been running with considerable success since 2005.

LOOP is about creative freedom, encouraging participating artists to show their individual approach in their choice of technique, from the oldest print technologies through to the most recent digital developments, presenting work in both 2D and 3D that demonstrates great diversity in imagery and practice. The work shown each year is new work, which brings freshness and adds a progressive dynamic to the exhibition.

LOOP2021 will show work by printmakers with a wealth of experience. The core LOOP artists have MAs – mainly from Camberwell College of Art (and as usual this year we are including some more recent graduates in the mix); amongst the group are also artists who have been involved in founding print workshops, and in arranging and curating exhibitions and festivals.

This 16th anniversary show will proceed despite difficult conditions imposed by Covid. We have safety guidelines in place during the exhibition, which we will ask all to observe.

Artist taking part:
Lynne Blackburn, Anthony Broad, Richenda Court ARE,
Frank Dolphin, Scott Freeland, Jane Hodge, Julie Hoyle,
Fabienne Khial, Sharon Low, Fungai Marima, Jennifer Merrell,
Ralph Overill, Maki Takizawa, John Tate, Tricia Torrington

For further information please contact:
[email protected]
www.loopartists.org.uk

Instagram
Twitter
Facebook

Opening hours
Daily 1-7pm

Strange Familiars
26-31 October 2021
Private View: Thursday 28 October 6-9pm

The people we meet, the places we visit, or even a simple object we have or use, can seem very familiar. But occasionally, when we are in that familiar place, or with those familiar faces or holding that familiar object we look again, and discover something new, something different, perhaps something strange. 

Twenty-two London photographers present ‘Strange Familiars’, a vibrant exhibition that perhaps catches a contemporary mood as much as it explores nuance in the everyday. With work that stretches from nature photography, street photography and portraiture to architectural studies and abstract, this compelling show presents a very diverse range of contemporary London photography.

Since their first exhibition eight years ago, this group of photographers has continued to present annual shows of stimulating, thought-provoking and visually exciting images. Join them at Espacio Gallery in October to see a surprising variety of viewpoints addressing the single theme: Strange Familiars.

Participating Artists:

Robin Barr, Hady Bayoumi, Héloïse Bergman, Dorota Boisot,
Eric Boscia, Chris Burrows, Jan Cylwik, Austin Guest, Andy Holliman,
Steve Jones, Teresa Levitt, Hugh Look, Rashida Mangera, Heather Martin,
Frankie McAllister, Eve Milner, Ingrid Newton, Jim Paterson,
Edith Templeton, Geoff Titley, Alec Wyllie, Astrid Zweynert

Curated by Jenny Nash

​Opening hours: 
Tue-Sat 1-7pm
Sun 1-5pm

Crossed Paths
19-24 October 2021
Private View: Thursday 21 October 6-9pm

This exhibition showcases established and emerging artists working in a range of styles including sculpture, painting, weaving and mixed media. It is the first time this group has come together to show work. The exciting themes and ideas, exploring everything from deeply personal concerns to wider social issues, are expressed in highly individual ways. The works stand alone but also speak to each other, thoughts and emotions crossing and recrossing in the space. 

Charlie Acton, Gavin Baldwin, Brian, Eugene Coyle,
Jonathan Dean, Rosemary Gates, Maggie Memory,
Sandra Miralles, Marianne Moore, Jan Pimblett,
Karen Pollock, Andy Whitson, Julia Woodhouse

Curated by Sandra Miralles

To attend the Private View please book here https://crossedpathsart.eventbrite.co.uk 

We hope to see you there. 

Opening hours: 
Tue-Sat 1-7pm
Sun 1-5pm
Admission free. No need for booking.
Booking is only for the Private View.

Beyond Paper
12-17 October 2021
Private View: Thursday 14 October 6-9pm

Participating artists:

John Chamberlain, Melody Clark, Yu-Ching Chiu, 
Zsuzsa Goodyer, Indigo Brascombe, Margarita Louka,
Quirina Wang, Qinlin Yang, Vicky Yang, Xuejun Zhao

@Beyondpaper21

​Abstract
28 September - 2 October 2021
​Private View: Tuesday 28 September 6-8pm

Abstract is an exhibition bringing together artists from around the world to celebrate the movement of abstraction. We all see the world differently and experience our own perception of the world, and abstract art is a great tool to show how we see. 

Artists involved: 
Celestine Thomas, Chloe Harris, Esperanza Perkins, Amandine Mondione,
Paul James, Emily Smith, Sally Burch, Dean Castillejos, Shveta Maini,
Carl Franklin, Ohne Titel, Henry Galano, Julian M C Scott, Elizabeth Ransom, Lorena Levi, Georgia Hare, Alice Eaves, Eltaj Zeynalov, Benjamin Stamp,
Rohaan Unvala, Miles Davis

Organised by Tebbs Gallery. 

Links:
www.tebbsgallery.com
www.facebook.com/Tebbs-Contemporary-Art-Gallery
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCQ3r9Ocw1dPyvPEukD0itNA
www.instagram.com/TebbsContemporaryArtGallery
www.twitter.com/tebbsgallery
Picture
Degrees of Freedom

​Osmosis
experiments in permeability
21-26 September 2021

Six artists working at the intersection of language, place and materiality have been invited by Degrees of Freedom to catalyse the spaces at Espacio Gallery as sites for experimentation and real time exchange.

The artists are:
Jane Glennie, Robert Good, Tom Hackett, Belinda Mitchell, Eileen White and Julian Woodcock.

An openness to external phenomenon characterises the works in the show, permeated as they are by the physical, social, emotional and virtual terrains that they investigate. These terrains are often transcribed by the artists into text, sound, image or movement to create the possibilities for new meanings and resonances.

Jane Glennie is a filmmaker and typographer. She makes visually rich, painterly and dreamlike poetry films composed of a ‘blizzard’ of still photographs. She is interested in the choice of detail and the nuances of relative hierarchies and emphasis between things – words, objects, materials, sounds, and images.

Robert Good is based in Cambridge UK and works with text to explore the problems of knowledge and the limitations of language. His work critiques the systems and structures of both analogue and digital landscapes, using both books and bytes as source material.  

Tom Hackett works with places, spaces and situations to gather conversations and other stuff to reconfigure into physical, text and audio works. His work is generated by reflection and enquiry into the constitution of ourselves within systems of language, verbal interchange, culture and social grouping. Collaboration is key to his practice 

Belinda Mitchell is a visual artist and senior lecturer in Interior Architecture at the University of Portsmouth. Her current work explores Wymering Manor, a sixteenth century house in the suburban area of Cosham, Portsmouth. She uses drawing as a practical, theoretical and material tool to rethink how interiors are produced.

Eileen White is an artist using sustainable analogue and alternative print processes alongside slow physical methodologies to materially witness historical sites. Uncovering narratives relating to places, she describes absence and time as well as questioning our accelerating loss of the human sensorium and our growing distance in relation to the rest of the non human world. 

Julian Woodcock makes art with a diversity of media and a varied approach. Work sometimes incorporates words or audio and may also include moving image or the performative. He is interested in the durational aspect of work and combinations of different linguistic modes, exploring the crossovers between art, writing and music.

Curated and produced by Ahmed Farooqui & Degrees of Freedom

Opening hours:
Tue-Sat 3-7pm
Sun 1-5pm

Celebration of Illustration 2021
Graduates of MDX BA Illustration 2020-21
14-18 September 2021
Private View: Thursday 16 September 6-9pm

A vibrant and diverse celebration of Illustration from Middlesex University graduates past and present. Showcasing illustration in its many forms including print, character design, portraiture, pattern, animation and digital, we hope to inspire and inform for adults and children alike. The exhibition will provide a snapshot of the varied and exciting ways illustration is used to communicate in our everyday lives including; editorial, publishing, advertising, portraits, educational, broadcasting, fashion, product design, typography, reportage and botanical. As a cohort we look forward to welcoming you to Espacio and hope you enjoy being immersed in the world of illustration.

The exhibitors are:
Adler Soler Parra, Annie Hines, Danielle Gnadou,
Emma Alfheim, Ewa Jedlinkska, Isabelle Scagell,
Jasmine Newton, Keith Williams, Khadija Sayed,
Kimberley Willshire, Lily Hammond, Lisa Osipova Cotellessa,
Lorraine Ansell, Melihat Ismail, Mikhail Chetvertnoy,
Naomi Bettridge, Nicole Jasper, Rowanna Galbraith,
Samantha Chow, Sara Ruiz, Sora Jo,
Stephanie Schweigert, Yuling Sung

Opening hours:
Tue-Sat 11am - 18pm

Barbara Janiszewska
Retrospective Solo Exhibition | Printmaking
24-29 August 2021
Private View: Saturday 28 August 6-9pm (invitation only)

Espacio Gallery is proud to present Barbara Janiszewska’s first solo exhibition.  As this is a retrospective, images that have been made over the years, as well as early and most recent work are on show.

Barbara is an accomplished printmaker and prefers to create work that is abstract in appearance.  Her work is colourful, playful, energetic, and lively.  As the work is nonrepresentational the viewer is invited to see the work through colour, shape, lines, and composition.   Thus, encouraging one’s imagination and independent thought.

Barbara has a BA (Hons) in Fine Art from London Metropolitan University, and an MA in Art Psychotherapy from Goldsmith, University of London.

Opening hours:
24-27 Aug 2-7pm
28 Aug 1-5pm / 6-9pm
29 Aug 1-5pm

Gaslit: shining a light on narcissistic abuse
17-22 August 2021
Private View: Thursday 19 August 7pm until late

"Gaslit: shining a light on narcissistic abuse" is an art participation project, which has informed and produced a series of original artworks in response to the significant rise in psychological abuse and domestic abuse during the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Socially engaged illustration artist, Veronica Rowlands, has worked alongside psychiatrist, Thomas Italiano, to develop the project which has engaged adults and young people with lived experience of psychological abuse, and those vulnerable within society - creating a safe space for creative response, reflection and recovery.

As a prior sufferer of narcissistic abuse, this area of research combines Veronica's own first-hand experience with that of community participants from Greenwich and Newham, London, to convey the complex narratives through the artworks.

Workshops with psychological abuse victims have deconstructed the abuse cycle, drawing out its insidious nature and highlighting a multitude of experiences, resulting in a series of twelve illustrations and 3 textile installations - all in Veronica's unique and whimsical style - visualising its characteristics and impact. The series depicts the three stages of the abuse cycle; Idealise, Devalue, Discard, along with insights into what makes a narcissist and empowering meditations on recovery. 

Veronica Rowlands says "The textile installations are weighted blankets, acting as a metaphor for the depth of internal conflict for those experiencing psychological abuse - the restrictive nature of a narcissistic relationship but also the warmth and comfort that remaining within the confines of the relationship can bring."

Website: www.veronicarowlandsartist.com/gaslit-arts-council-england-funded-project
​Opening hours:
Tue-Sat 1-3pm / 4-7pm
Sun 11am - 3pm / 4-5pm
Admission free.
​No need to book in advance, no tickets required.

Fuse 2021
​10-15 August 2021
Private View: Thursday 12 August 6pm-Late

Fuse: to join or blend to form a single entity; the coming together of multidisciplinary creatives…

Over the past year students on the University of Brighton MA Graphic Design have been working on a range of exciting projects, including everything from printed material to experimental 3D works. The forward facing groups work explores a number of current and emerging topics through their unique visual languages.

Participating Artists:

Rohit Bhalla
Aimée Clark - @aimeecbc
George Davis-Ansted - @georgedavisanstead
James Farrant - @jpf_design
Saskia James - @saskiajames.design
Zoe Jenkins - @zoellenstudio
Maren Landsnes - @designmaren
Emily Markwick - @design.munki
Ganesh Sharma - @blinkingfate
Alexa Vieira - @bleugonia
Emily Watson - @ew__studio

www.instagram.com/fuse.2021

Opening hours:
Daily 10am-7pm
Sunday 10am-5pm

​Claudio Pestana: Fag Attacks the Country
3-8 August 2021

​“Like a fairy tale, it all started once upon a time – this time in 2020 with the birth of a new world order of ecological dystopia. The woods were quiet, the cows grazed undisturbed, the genteel went about attending to their lawns and vegetable patches, the crows, always suspicious, scanned the rolling hills, when suddenly an evil foreign nonbinary Queen arrived in the scene.”

In ‘Fag Attacks the Country’, Claudio Pestana’s first solo exhibition, we are presented with an imaginary Queer space in the English countryside. In this series of paintings, completed during lockdown, Pestana subverts the tradition of the ‘conversation piece’, the eighteenth-century sub-genre of portraiture, which at the time was profitably mastered by the likes of Gainsborough, Devis, and Zoffany. In ‘Fag Attacks the Country’ Pestana challenges the symbolic capital historically attached to the genre and creates an antithesis to the traditional decorum that was obligatorily depicted in the 18th century and beyond.

“During lockdown, whilst social distancing in the depths of Dorset’s countryside, I started thinking about how, as a non-binary foreign person, I fitted into the landscape of the county with its specific social topography. Surrounded by traditional and conservative cultural markers, I started reflecting on the symbolic power that those around me held.

‘Fag Attacks the Country’ explores the intersection between (my) Queerness, the rural, and the tradition of portraiture and landscape painting. The paintings started as a spontaneous gesture that arose after I suddenly became aware of how my Queerness might be perceived in the rural community where I was living. I started feeling a rebellious and subversive energy arising in me, which led me to create an imaginary rural world where I arrived as a Fag (I consciously adopt this term as a way of hijacking the language of the abuser) and affronted the status quo of those who commanded social
power.

Claudio Pestana was born in Portugal in 1974, and lives and works between London and Dorset, England. First trained as a psychologist, Pestana also engaged in art making as a self-taught artist before receiving his MA in Fine Art Painting from Camberwell College Pestana has collaborated with other artists on several art projects and in 2020 his work was included in the London Grads Now exhibition at The Saatchi Gallery in London. In 2021 Pestana was awarded the Abbey Scholarship in Painting 2021-22 with a residency at The British School at Rome.

Opening hours:
Tue-Sat 1-7pm
Sun 1-5pm

TAKING SHAPE 
27 July - 1 August 2021
​Private View*: Friday 30 July 5-9pm

A group exhibition of multi disciplinary Artists creating work through paint, ink, text, video and sculpture. 

An exhibition that speaks of an obsessive relationship to our immediate landscapes, and the artists’ compulsion to record. The artwork takes familiar scenes and banal realities that have become ritualistic over the past year, to project an alternative, imagined way of living and being.

Felix Allen 
Melanie Christine Amengual
Louisa Clark
Rachel Lonsdale
Tom Mead
George Spencer Jackson
Sarah-Athina Nahas

​*GS Wines  are pleased to be wine sponsors for the PV! 
For Free Ticket to PV please book via https://takingshape.eventbrite.co.uk

Opening hours: 
Tue-Sat 11am-7pm
Sun 11 am - 2pm

Uplift
​20-25 July 2021
Private View: Thursday 22 July 6-9pm

The last year and a half has been a strange time for all of us - being locked down, unable to freely go out and do normal things like socialise with family and friends, travel, visit arts, music and other cultural events, even work! Covid has brought us down.

But now it is time to uplift. There is light at the end of the tunnel and people are beginning to feel a sense of hope and excitement at the thought of doing things again. 

Uplift offers participating artists the opportunity to explore and to express their own sense of being reignited through paint, photography, sculpture etc. The burst of creative energies presented will be an inspiration to us all.

Moich Abrahams, Christine Calow, Brigitta Cseh, 
Jonathan Dean, Kanwal Dhaliwal, Rosana Miracco, 
Amravati Mitchell, Marianne Moore, ​Celestina Munteanu, 
Edoardo Pascale, ​Genie Poretzky-Lee, ​Carole Thomas, ​
​Tina Viljoen, Natalie Webb​

Opening hours:
Tue-Sat 1-7pm
Sun 1-5pm

SuperGlue21
14-17 July 2021

​SuperGlue21 exhibits six, emerging female artists from London. It focuses on the power of collaboration, as well as the peace found within abstract, textural painting.

Maddie Hills, Annie-Rose Fiddian-Green, Harriet Hoult,
Lauren Bevan, Betsey Kilpatrick, Gaia Ozwyn

Curated by Eliza Lees & Henry Dowson

In association with Shape Arts

​To Be Continued...
City Lit Foundation Diploma in Art and Design
7 – 10 July 2021

Students from the 2021 City Lit Foundation Diploma in Art and Design are very proud to present their final show.

Mostly created during lockdown conditions, these diverse and innovative artworks are the culmination of the City Lit Foundation course. 

The exhibition includes fine art, textiles, ceramics, moving image, sculpture, print and visual communication works.

You can book your free ticket here > 
 
Numbers in the gallery are being strictly managed so please pre-book.
 
Opening hours:
Wed 11am-4pm
Thur-Sat 11am-7pm
 
Follow City Lit FAD students on Instagram to see the build up to the show.

the playful turn
A multi media exhibition exploring artistic perspectives on play and playfulness
29 June - 4 July

Full of hands-on, participative works: absurdist games, mischievous interventions, kitch assemblages, comic expositions and playful videos it invites visitors to immerse themselves in the exhilarating spirit of play that uplifts our lives beyond mud-bound existence.
 
Mingling anarchic and frequently absurd experiences with playful treatment of serious subjects, the exhibition asks visitors to consider the multifarious ways in which play and playfulness enriches our lives and gives it value.

Participating artists:
Moich Abrahams, Ellen Adams, Andrea Arnold, Ryan Asbury,
Liana Bortolozzo, Lizzie Brown, Alicia Corbett, Shona Davies,
Sally de Coursey, David Dunnico, Kun Fang, Ahmed Farooqui,
Rosina Godwin, Tom Hackett, Vinay Hathi, Catherine Jacobs,
SR Jimmy, Bharati Kapadia, Jonathan Kelham, Jon Klein,
Christina Lovey, ManosBuckius Cooperatve, David Monaghan,
Jenny Nash, Paddy O'Donnell, Marta Pieregonczuk, Point and Place,
Sylvain Souklaye, Agnieszka Synak, Thirtyminutes, Cally Trench,
Shahar Tutchner, Frances Willoughby, Ben Wilson,
Julian Woodcock, Hyunsun Yoo.

Curated by Ahmed Farooqui & Degrees of Freedom

Opening hours:
Tue-Sat 3-7pm
Sun 1-5pm

​Are Friends Electric – Studies in Neon
The exhibition that never was now is
21-27 June 2021
Private View: Thurs 24 June 6-9pm

​In 2019 Print artists Ricardo Corte and Jonathan Lawes scouted Instagram to find kindred spirits they could bring together for a group show themed loosely though the use of bold, neon, fluorescent colour schemes. In selecting on the work not the names they were able to gather a diverse collection of 13 strangers, some established artists some brand new. 
Their work the only judging factor. Getting them all to contribute, communicate and collaborate was no mean achievement but it happened with Instagram and WhatsApp taking the strain. 

The exhibition was planned for March 2020. A lot of the artists due to meet for the first-time face to face, and then Covid happened. Like everything else in the world, the exhibition was cancelled *in literally the first week of the first ever lockdown. 

The exhibition was up but the doors were locked, when they reopened in the summer the schedule of the gallery was adjusted and Are Friends Electric removed. The show that never really happened. 

If you have an exhibition that nobody sees did it happen? It did but didn’t, you get it yeah?

Fast forward – the year passes, lockdowns come and go, and the exhibition which had been given up on has now been resurrected, a second life presented to it by the Espacio Gallery.
​
Also a serendipitous twist of fate the timing of the exhibition will coincide with the UK returning to normality (if you believe the current government) the exhibition neatly  bookending covid in the UK.

So, Are Friends Electric is back for 2021 with a few line-up changes, a lot has happened over the last 12 months but the neon show must go on.

 The new roster still includes:
@amy_gardner_artist_  @mistermarcjones  @iamcyanblue
@jonathanlawes  @montezmakes  @vpattersongraphicarts
@sonofafoxx  @keldastorm  @art_by_villain with the excellent new additions of @donklondon  @oli.fowlerart &  @mew.welch 

There will be wall to wall colour, fluro and neon to melt your eyes and warm your hands. It’s gonna be a bright summer, best wear your shades 

It's Been a Drag
BA (Hons) Graphics and Illustration Graduation Show
CSVPA Cambridge School of Visual & Performing Arts
​16-19 June 2021
Private View: Friday 18 June 4pm onwards

Providing pathways in Art & Design, Drama and Music, Cambridge School of Visual & Performing Arts continues to develop the skills and confidence of many inspiring artists and performers.

Participating artists:
Thomas Cannon, Courtney Cato, Vince Chan, Eva Cheng, 
Puicheng Choi, Sen Duff, Ning Feng, Tintin Freeman, 
Jessica Ghil, Shinyee Goi, James Harding, Julita Hofman, 
Xuanru Ji, Yasmin Kadhim, Issay Kawai, Helena Kjeld, 
Grace Leahy, Lawerence Li, Qi Li, Yizi Liu, Lara Mackey, 
Kester Matine, Emily O'Shea, Melina Rumbea, Yunlan Su, 
Xiangchu Wang, Ziwen Zhang,

Open to the public: 
Thur 17 & Sat 19 June 11am - 5pm

INTERRUPTIONS
8-13 June 2021

​Featuring a diverse range of work encompassing painting, sculpture, installation, video and printmaking, this exhibition has been conceived and implemented by 11 artists who have all taken part in the Fine Art Mentoring course run by Erika Winstone at Morley College.

Participating Artists:

Cass Breen, Louise Hardy, Nell Martin, Bernadette Enright,
Katherine Rose, Anjum Moon, Abigail Elverd, Terry Barber,
Helen Pavli, Yasmin Noorbakhsh, Catherine James.

The course aims to form a bridge between college and gaining confidence through forging connections and a sense of community to practise and thrive as independent artists. An important part of this journey involves working together to independently organise a group exhibition. This year has been especially challenging in many ways and the show has been postponed twice since September due to lockdowns. However, the success is partly due to how the mentees have continued supporting each other through online meetings some ten months after finishing the course. 

Erika Winstone, who has curated the exhibition, comments: ‘The work in this show demonstrates the rich achievements of each artist individually, as well as the benefits of alternative models of learning to increase access to a peer group inclusive of a wide range of histories, background and experience. I congratulate each mentee on this rich, thought-provoking and exciting exhibition. 

‘I look forward to seeing their continuing journeys as artists and further work in a second online show in July. 

‘Thanks to Terry Barber for her evite design and masterminding of the catalogue, and to Catherine James for designing the online exhibition. Also very special thanks to the fantastic input of the following visiting artists for their invaluable contributions: Rosalind Davis, Justin Hibbs, Daniel Howard-Birt, Sara Knowland, Barbara Nicholls, Anne Ryan and Susan Sluglett.’ 

Opening hours:
Tue-Sat 12-7pm
Sun 10:30am - 4pm
Measures will be in place following government Covid-secure guidance.

The online exhibition launches on 6 July; see the group’s Instagram page for further details and also any changes to arrangements to comply with latest government advice: @mfam.interruptions
​Opening hours:
Daily 11am - 7pm

From the Western Isles to the East End
​25 May - 5 June 2021
Opening Reception: Thursday 27 5:30 - 9pm

‘From the Western Isles to the East End.’

Four artists living on the island of North Uist are bringing their exhibition ‘Hebridean Spaces’ (‘Leirsinn nan Eilean’) to the Espacio Gallery in Shoreditch.

North Uist is one of the islands in the remote Outer Hebridean archipelago. It’s dominated by water - both by the surrounding sea and by a myriad of freshwater lochs, and also by wide open skies. It’s very varied topographically, with an ancient, rocky, peat and heather clad interior, and a fertile green rim around the coasts, fringed with sandy beaches.

The island lies in the path of Atlantic low pressure systems, and is a place of dynamic weather and wind.

It’s both a challenging and rewarding place to live; our exhibition will bring an impression of this to the very contrasting environment of London. This will be through the experience of four artists inspired by the same place, but using very different and engaging approaches to express this.

The four artists are:

Marnie Keltie - painting
“My current work is rooted in the beach environment near where I live. It’s my attempt to express both the sense of exposure experienced on the Atlantic shore, and the changing worlds created and recreated on the surface of the beach by the endless rhythm of the tide.”

Corinna Krause - bookbinding
“I explore my relationship with the environment surrounding me by incorporating island - specific materials such as sand, netting, fish farm overalls and creel hooks into my book structures and by experimenting with long established binding techniques to find new ways of expression.”

Fiona Pearson - painting & printmaking
“Hurled through with birds...Rilke.
I make abstract paintings in response to the significant spaces in the island’s land and sky.”

Fergus Granville - sculpture / assemblage
“Either co-created with the sea or inspired by found objects, sometimes a blend of natural history and art.”

In 2019 this same group took an exhibition to the Dundas St. Gallery in Edinburgh.
This was very well received and reviewed; Art critic Duncan MacMillan awarded the exhibition four stars in ‘The Scotsman’.

We then decided to aim for an exhibition in London, and this is our third attempt; dates in February and April have already been postponed due to the pandemic.

More can be seen at the artists' websites/Instagram:

Fergus Granville:
Website: www.fergusgranville.com 
Instagram: @fergusgranville

Fiona Pearson:
Website: www.uistfiona.com

Marnie Keltie:
Website: www.marniekeltie.co.uk

Corinna Krause:
Website: www.sollasbooks.com
Instagram: @sollasbooks
Exhibition opening hours:
Tue-Sat 1-7pm
Thu open till 9pm
Sun 11am - 5pm

Bring the inside, outside
YardArt brings art for outdoor living to Espacio Gallery
18-23 May 2021

Bringing their own unique outdoor artwork to Central London YardArt UK takes over the Espacio Gallery from 18-23 May 2021.

The exhibition sees artwork, illustrations, designs and limited editions from Banksy, Rene Gruau, Spencer Rienhard, Jess Yelland, Charlotte Clemence & Jane Ruggerio making the galleries walls come alive in an eclectic mix of colour and style with one thing in mind - to bring the inside out!

With gardens becoming our extra ‘rooms’ to relax or entertain in, traditionally the emphasis has always been on the reliance on planting and hard landscaping elements to make an impression. YardArt seeks to challenge this concept with their unique outdoor wall Art providing an   extra dimension to patios, terraces, balconies and outdoor spaces.

Completely weather-proof and durable, all of the works in the exhibition are digitally printed with UV protected weather proof colour fast inks and applied to a high quality outdoor grade 5mm acrylic,  using YardArt’s state of the art print technology, ensuring they are waterproof, fade proof and long lasting in all weathers.  
Prices range from £295 -£2k+

Exhibition Highlights:
‘Heart Boy’ - Banksy 
Commissioned in conjunction with the Brandler Galleries, to celebrate the ‘Moments’ Street Art Exhibition (Bury St. Edmunds).  Each piece comes with a certificate of authenticity signed by the Brandler Galleries. The ‘Cheshire’ edition features a rusty iron frame which is printed onto the artwork to enhance the 3D nature of the piece.

'Heart Boy' was originally painted on a 7-foot wall in Goswell Road, Islington by the artist but the demolition of the building in 2009 led to the removal and conservation of the mural. The mural was first showcased at Amsterdam’s Moco Museum and its first UK showing will be at the ‘Moments’ exhibition.
​
John Brandler, owner of Brandler Galleries, owner of the  original mural and co-associate of the ‘Moments’  exhibition has collaborated with YardArt to ensure a faithful reproduction of the artist’s original work.
From £2,000 upwards.  Limited edition of 25. 
Official launch of the René Gruau Runway Fashion Collection 
Five designs which showcase the fashion illustrator whose distinctive portrayals of haute couture design in the 1940s and 50s made him synonymous with the “New Look” revolution.
​From £750 - Limited Edition of 50 pieces per design.

About YardArt’s artwork
All YardArt’s artwork is completely weather-proof and durable,  with all of the designs digitally printed with UV protected weather proof colour fast inks and applied to a high quality outdoor grade 5mm acrylic, using YardArt’s state of the art print technology - ensuring they are waterproof, fade proof and long lasting in all weathers.

Suitable for both outdoor spaces and areas in the home where there is a lot of moisture (i.e. bathrooms) they can be mounted to walls or fences for maximum impact.  Installing onto a fence,brick or concrete wall could not be easier, with a range of architectural bolts to suit the design of your choice.

For further details about YardArt and to request images contact:
Lee King, PRickle at [email protected]  0781 087 5863

Touch Me
Very Valerie Ellis
10-16 May 2021

Her previous show being interrupted by lockdown, Espacio Gallery is proud to re-present the debut solo exhibition of Australian artist, Very Valerie Ellis. Recently arrived back in London from Brisbane, Australia, Valerie has been painting a new collection of works: Touch Me. Using only the elements of colour and brushstroke, the paintings are intended to move the viewer through expressive gestures, lines and texture. If you like abstract-expressionism, this show is for you. 

In making the 11 paintings that comprise the show in the main gallery, the artist sought to “move the viewer through expressive brushstrokes alone, rather than figural representation.” The show is an invitation to those deprived of touch during lockdown, to feel touched through the sense of sight alone. Receptive art lovers will sense touch as they graze the surface of the canvas with their eyes. The lower gallery houses a sample of the artist’s figurative drawings and paintings.

Valerie Ellis grew-up in England but ran-away to Australia in her teens. She’s had a 20-year career as a therapist including visits to a maximum security men’s prison. The field of psychology shapes the artist’s creative oeuvre, sharing the foundational concern for abstract-symbolism, the inner world and interpersonal connection. View the show and meet the artist each day from 10-16 May, 11am - 7pm.

www.veryvalerieellis.com

Opening hours
Mon-Sat 11am - 7pm
Sun 11am - 5pm
Past exhibitions 2020