Everyday Magic: A Week in London

It was a real pleasure to be part of ‘Everyday Magic’, a week-long pop up exhibition at The Gallery at the Playroom in Archway, London.

The exhibition brought together a wonderful group of artists, with work ranging from vibrant portraits, ultra-realism still life, to abstract sculpture. There was a real sense of energy throughout the week, and the opening night was particularly brilliant. The gallery was so packed with artists, friends, art lovers and supporters, we spilled out onto the street!

I had two paintings hanging in the show- ‘The Sardine Sentinel’ was joined by ‘Onward’, both hung at eye level on the central wall!

A huge thank you goes to Poppy Kettle for organising and curating the exhibition so brilliantly. Poppy has a real knack for bringing artwork together and arranging a space so that every piece gets its moment to shine. I've followed her work since we exhibited together a few years ago, so it was particularly lovely to find myself sharing a gallery with her incredible, vibrant portraits again.

Having a group exhibition where the artists themselves helped man the gallery meant there was a lovely sense of community throughout the week. This was my first time exhibiting at The Gallery at the Playroom, and it was fantastic to experience the space and learn more about the work of The Toy Project, whose work is connected to the gallery.

'Onward’ (pictured on the far left) on display, with ‘The Sardine Sentinel’ further to the right

Onward

‘Onward’ is a vibrant mixed media painting inspired by street art, graphic novels, propaganda imagery, news broadcasts and pixelation. It brings together layers of colour, imagery and collage to create a figure who seems to be moving forward through a world full of noise and uncertainty.

The woman at the centre of the painting remains deliberately mysterious. Where has she come from, and where is she going? Her headscarf might suggest themes of faith, travel or protection, whilst the surrounding abstracted imagery hints at the barrage of global events and expectations that we all navigate.

Newspaper fragments discussing the declining birth rate sit within the background, alongside pixelated sections that give the impression of a digital glitch. Perhaps she is a digital nomad, perhaps she is simply forging her own path. As with much of my work, I like to leave enough space for the viewer to bring their own interpretation to the piece.

The Sardine Sentinel

My second piece on display was ‘The Sardine Sentinel’, a painting which takes a rather more playful approach to the relationship between humans and the natural world.

Perched proudly on a tower of sardine tins, a puffin surveys its surroundings with comic defiance. Beneath the humour is a more serious question about the ways in which wildlife is forced to adapt to environments increasingly shaped by human activity, such as overfishing.

The sardine tins become a visual joke with a slightly sardonic edge, quite literally boxing marine life in. Swirling coastal winds add movement to the scene, while the layers of paint, collage and found materials contribute to the busy, tactile quality that runs through my work.

Both pieces reflect my interest in building paintings through layers. I work with oils, inks, acrylics, spray paint and collage, often incorporating found or repurposed materials into the surface. These materials aren't simply decorative additions. Packaging fragments, aluminium ring pulls and other discarded objects can carry their own stories, becoming small reminders of the human footprint within the environments I am exploring.

What’s next?

In September, I'll be taking part in my first London art fair, Art Now Fair, which feels like a rather exciting next chapter. More details will be coming soon, along with a glimpse behind the scenes as I get ready for the fair. The Fair will be on from 18th-20th September in Peckham, so please do come along!

For now though, I'm very grateful to have had the opportunity to bring my work to Archway, connect with so many brilliant artists and be part of such a vibrant exhibition. You can view all of the displayed works here.

Thank you to everyone who visited, supported the show, bought artwork, stopped for a chat or simply took the time to look.

Here’s to a little more Everyday Magic.