Tag Archives: London

London: Mehdi Ghadyanloo – Perception

February 27, 2015 butterfly

Having painted over a hundred murals in Tehran, Iranian artist Mehdi Ghadyanloo is making his debut London show ‘Perception‘ with Howard Griffin Gallery. The show features a series of paintings, miniature sculptures and a cube installation with visual effects playing with perception and depth.
Ghadyanloo’s work provides an insight into an impenetrable Iran, revealing a struggle and a desire for expression and a wider exploration of the human condition and life – carrying universal themes of hope, anticipation, loss and sadness.

Mehdi Ghadyanloo - Perception

In parallel the artist also created a large scale mural in Shoreditch entitled ‘We did not start the game”, where three girls are jumping rope, while giant crows are overlooking them. For Ghadyanloo, the purpose of street art is to ‘beautify’ this grey and polluted city. Through the use of optical illusion, he portrays impossible scenes and gravity defying figures from radically altered perspectives. His escapist, surreal imagery aims to project an image of a utopia on the walls of the city, bending reality to provide a shared public space for dreaming.
Mehdi Ghadyanloo - Perception

View the full set of pics here

Mehdi Ghadyanloo – Perception
Until 2 April 2015
Howard Griffin Gallery
189 Shoreditch High St
London E1 6HU

London, Shows

London: Borondo – Animal @ RexRomae

February 25, 2015 butterfly

Borondo - Animal

Following our recent Borondo’s studio visit (covered here) where we could see some of the work in progress, it is great to see the final installations in the gallery space. ‘Animal’ aims to explore the relationship between human and nature. Visitors experience a journey through eight thematic spaces, with a multitude of techniques and artworks, from glass scratched painted windows and shadows, raw classical paintings on wood to collaboration with Carmen Maín (ES) on video installations and impressive sculptural installations with Edoardo Tresoldi (IT) and Despina Charitonidi (GR).

Borondo - Animal
View the full set of pics from the show here

Borondo – Animal
Until 26 February
Rex Romae
London Newcastle Project Space London

London, Shows

London: dran – Public Execution (Part III)

February 24, 2015 butterfly 2 Comments

We returned to the dran show ‘Public Execution’ (covered here) on its closing day on 21 February. Since the past two weeks the white empty walls with spray painted frames have gradually become more colourful and different characters have started to appear.

The Gallery assistant got a brand new desk. Playing with architecture, a little green hood in the woods reveals two skeletons from another angle. Dran’ signature characters evolve through different situations, from love relationships to being chased by the police, or simply have fun and spring for freedom.

Dran - Public Execution Show Dran - Public Execution - London

On a darker note, dran also highlights housing and homeless issues, with a reversed ad campaign promoting green areas coming soon to the grey city center.

Here are some before / after shots to spot the differences:

Dran - Public Execution Show

And if like the devil, you are turning green when looking at the electricity bill, need some oil to make your machine work or power up like Superman, if you are getting insanely cluttered with folders, listen to the advice on the computer ‘ Take some holidays’ and you’ll be flying high like the cat…

View the full set of pics here

London, Street

London: Alex Chinneck car installation

February 21, 2015 butterfly

Hackney-based artist Alex Chinneck created an illusionary public installation titled Pick Yourself Up and Pull Yourself Together. Located on a car park in London SouthBank, a Vauxall Corsa looks suspended in the air over 4.5 meter high upside down on a wave-shaped portion of tarmac that seems peeled back from the ground and folded back on itself.

View the full set of pics here

Until 25 February
Hungerford Car Park
Belvedere Road, London

London, Shows

London: Vestige Group show @ Coates & Scarry

February 11, 2015 butterfly

Vestige - Coates & Scarry

Curated by Coates and Scarry, the group exhibition ‘Vestige’ brings together a new body of works that subtly or overtly reference historical imagery and objects.

Participating artists include Lisa Wright, Emma Vidal, Penny Byrne, Aaron Smith and Henry Hussey.

Vestige - Coates & Scarry

Merging together fragments of history like ribbons, ruffs, wigs and petticoats, Lisa Wright’s historical portrait paintings and drawings are simultaneously rooted in the past and the present.

Vestige @ Coates & Scarry Vestige - Coates & Scarry

Australian artist Penny Byrne transforms porcelain figures with wry humour and gives them a voice, highlighting current political conflicts and protests.

Vestige @ Coates & Scarry

Using charcoal, French artist Emma Vidal creates drawings and three dimensional works with spiritual and cultural symbolism depicting a post-apocalyptic world in ruin.

Vestige - Coates & Scarry

Inspired by photographic portraits from the Edwardian and Victorian eras, LA based artist Aaron Smith gives a contemporary twist to male portrait paintings. By skilfully layering and interweaving text, imagery together with vintage, hand-dyed, printed fabrics and embroidery, UK artist Henry Hussey creates highly complex and colourful textile works.

Vestige @ Coates & Scarry Vestige - Coates & Scarry