We are delighted to invite you to the Opening Reception of our Exhibition showing the works of three of the recipients of our student awards who have been working in our studio.

Fiona Nicholson, Sheenagh Bleakney and Nair Berenguer Del Valle will show the originality and experimental aspect of their work using diverse techniques and methods.

It is a privilege to host these women artists and give them the platform to showcase their creativity.

Fiona’s is an exhibition inspired by printmaking, but some of the work takes other forms, such as sculptural collage and drawing with natural inks; blurring the boundaries between traditional and experimental art practices in a playful and curious way — neither here nor there. The act of drawing closer to nature is a key component of Nicholson’s practice and over the last year she has been learning to draw colour from food waste and plants, developing an intimate connection with material and experiencing the joys of living colour.

Sheena often combines analogue photomontage, screen print and photo intaglio print processes to respond to key issues of the current social and political climate, including Brexit, Covid-19, the climate crisis and wormens’s rights with a focus on the language and imagery of the mass media.

Nair’s practice has been mainly always focused on the processes of printing, primarily screen printing. Throughout this residency she wanted to be more experimental with materials and not editioning the work. Instead working in a more painterly way.

As a result, a body of work has emerged that reflects my style and colourful palette but that incorporates new materials like mirrors, textiles, spray paint, and wood. Collaging and painting have taken a step forward in my practice keeping behind the traditional way of printing but sustaining my love for the process above everything else.