Launch date: Saturday 8 June 2024, 5–7pm / Relaxed launch: Saturday 8 June 2024, 4–5pm
Exhibition dates: 9 June – 3 November 2024
Opening times: 10am – 5pm daily
BSL video
Exhibiting artists: Siddharth Gadiyar, James Gladwell, Thompson Hall, Richard Hunt, Nnena Kalu, Cameron Morgan, Michelle Roberts, and Leslie Thompson.
Kaleidoscopic Realms presents an installation of artworks and film by eight contemporary artists revealing a colourful insight into intuitive mark-marking in its many forms. 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, the exhibition runs alongside a programme of workshops, talks and live events exploring who gets to be an artist, and who gets to be seen in galleries and why? Kaleidoscopic Realms is designed to challenge preconceived ideas, and to stimulate conversation and interaction. This exhibition not only allows the observer to appreciate the artwork but also presents a series of films revealing the artists in action, divulging more about their processes and motives.
This exhibition was born out of project SHIFT, from Jennifer Lauren Gallery, 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. SHIFT creates space for inclusion, and for conversations between artists and gatekeepers, to deepen understanding, to commit to change, and to champion acceptance without prejudice. The Jennifer Lauren Gallery champions these artists, raising their profile helping to gain respect, and providing a platform to showcase their work.
Each of these artists work out of studios across the UK who tirelessly support not only these artists, but many other incredibly talented artists: ActionSpace, Barrington Farm, Project Ability, Project Art Works, Shadowlight Artists, and Venture Arts.
Access: Please visit the museum website for access information.
This is a paid entry exhibition – please contact Jennifer via email if this is going to be a barrier for you: info@jenniferlaurengallery.com
EVENTS
THESE WILL ALL BE OPEN FOR BOOKING SOON, WITH LINKS
Associated events: Talks and tours in-person and online
/ Curators tour with Jennifer and Christopher – Sunday 21 July, 1–2pm
/ BSL (British Sign Language) tour with Chisato Minamimura – date TBC
/ Audio description tour with Harry Baxter – Sunday 15 September, 11am–12pm TBC
/ Curators tour with Jennifer and Christopher – Saturday 28 September, 1–2pm
Associated events: Workshops and live events
/ Embroidery drop-in workshop with James Gladwell – Sunday 7 July, 10:30am–12:30pm
/ Live drawing from Leslie Thompson and Richard Hunt – date TBC
/ Creative workshop with Thompson Hall – Saturday 14 September, 11am–12:30pm
/ Portrait sittings with Cameron Morgan – Sunday 29 September, 10:30am–3:30pm TBC
Associated events: Relaxed sensory sessions
/ Relaxed session led by The Sensory Toolkit – Sunday 21 July, 10-11:30am
/ Relaxed session led by The Sensory Toolkit – Tuesday 20 August, 10-11:30am
/ Relaxed session led by The Sensory Toolkit – Saturday 28 September, 10-11:30am
Note, these sessions will be within the exhibition itself as closed events. The rest of the Castle will be open to the public, so please bear that in mind when booking.
Image above is by Cameron Morgan. Copyright the artist and Project Ability