Exhibiting artists: Haydn Albrow, Sadegh Aleahmad, Nicky Amin, Isobel Atacus, Joy Baek, Rachel Bailey, Hannah Billett, Rhys Brown, Christina Brown, Eleanor Burkett, Tommy Camerno, Catherine Chambers, Yuyang Chen, Micheal Coppelov Nathalie Coste, Piero D’Angelo, Laurie Fitzgerald, Emma Franks, Ben Goldnagl, Cecily Loveys Jervoise, Gaby Jonna, Woo Jin Joo, Katka Krajči, You Liang, Lindsey Jean McLean, Tabitha Powles, Harriet Richardson, Moussa David Saleh, Sila Sen, Cameron Ugbodu, Fredrix Vermin, Paul Westcombe, Maddie Yuille.
Laid out in a museum style under the gothic arches of the Nunnery Gallery, the show spans painting, sculpture, ceramics, textiles, video, and millinery, with small objects collected in intimate groups in vitrines. The exhibiting artists include some of Bow Arts’ brightest stars and growing talent, and the show is a chance to explore some of the most exciting art being made across east London.
Suitably eccentric and theatrical, Mendick’s selection of treasures ranges from a wearable Sicilian cassata cake (La Sicilianedde, Micheal Coppelov), a series of tufted swords embellished with ceramic teeth and trinkets (Serious Quarrels, Haydn Albrow), and fantastical sensory worlds drawn on coffee cups (Paul Westcombe). What artists have chosen to share is beautiful, both visually and personally: Cameron Ugbodu’s Das Kind mit den goldenen Knochen steht wieder auf ungebrochen (the child with the golden bones stands up again) gleams with gold and contrasting deep blue, reflecting on transformational reflection; You Liang’s Growing Up is an Animal Trap is a triptych of silvery soldered and printed shapes, delving into the artist’s younger years of growing up as a “Chinese queer individual navigating the complexities of growing up in a conservative town”.
There are also quieter, intimate treasured moments to be found through exquisite painting: Moussa David Saleh’s Nose To Cheek, Maddie Yuille’s A kiss, and Tabitha Powles’s Frog – referencing the treasured possession of a patient Powles cares for as a nurse. Not to be missed, Mendick’s Bow Open invites viewers to explore some of the most exciting work being made in London today through her unique curatorial lens.
The exhibition is accompanied by a carefully curated event programme, building on themes from the show, and including chances for visitors to take part in hands-on workshops run by Bow Arts artists.
