SHIFT PRESENTS ‘KALEIDOSCOPIC REALMS’

Kaleidoscopic Realms presents an installation of artworks by eight contemporary artists revealing a colourful insight into intuitive mark-marking in its many forms, alongside films made about the artists and their practice. The featured artists have all travelled different paths to firmly ground themselves within their art practice, each with a distinctive style.

Unfettered explorations of repetition, pattern, detail, and culture weave their way into the artwork. A clear sense of storytelling and play often features, whilst others just ooze the pure joy of mark-making and material investigations. Ceramics, embroidery, pen drawings, and large-scale painted canvases invite closer viewing, whilst an impressive installation of bold, wrapped sculptures entices you with its strong presence.

Siddharth Gadiyar and Nnena Kalu’s large scale, visually impactful artworks are a riot of colour, both producing art that is big, bold and eye-catching. Likewise, Cameron Morgan and Richard Hunt have an inclination towards colour however, their work is thematic – both weave stories, from observation and memory of the things they cherish, onto canvas; with Morgan utilising ceramics and embroidery to further extend his work. Thompson Hall’s work, whilst being both thematic and colourful, is more politically driven. Hall wants the observer to understand the hardships people endure and the anxiety this often brings. In contrast to these are the works by James Gladwell, Michelle Roberts and Leslie Thompson where the emphasis is on detail. Gladwell’s delicate embroideries drawn from his imagination and memories are simple yet beautiful; Thompson’s characters in their myriad of forms are presented, from memory, with perfect pose and structure; Roberts’ signature characters drawn from visits both experienced and observed, joyfully dance across her large-scale canvases.

Co-curated by Jennifer Gilbert of Jennifer Lauren Gallery and artist Christopher Samuel, ‘Kaleidoscopic Realms’ was born out of project SHIFT, from Jennifer, which exists to give recognition and to amplify the visibility, voices and works of UK-based neurodivergent and learning disabled visual artists within contemporary art. The project, and this exhibition, are designed to challenge preconceived ideas, and to stimulate conversation and interaction.

Each of these artists work out of studios across the UK who tirelessly support not only these artists, but many other incredibly talented artists: Siddharth Gadiyar (Project Art Works), James Gladwell (Barrington Farm), Thompson Hall (ActionSpace), Richard Hunt (Shadowlight Artists), Nnena Kalu (ActionSpace), Cameron Morgan (Project Ability), Michelle Roberts (Project Art Works), and Leslie Thompson (Venture Arts).

Access: Please visit the museum website for their access information and visual map.

This is a paid entry exhibition – please contact Jennifer via email if this is going to be a barrier for you: info@jenniferlaurengallery.com

Please visit the Jennifer Lauren Gallery website for more information about this exhibtion.

Kaleidoscopic Realms Walkthrough

This walkthrough features co-curators gallerist Jennifer Gilbert and artist Christopher Samuel walking you through the exhibition. Directed, filmed and edited by Angel Li, made possible with funding from Necessity.

Private View

Here are some photos of the private view event that took place on the Saturday 8th of June, at Nottingham Castle Museum and Art Gallery.

Photos are by Lamar Francois.

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Press

Read about Kaleidoscopic Realms from a variety of critics and writers: