Wednesday 5th Dec: Lisbon

One of the best things about being a runner and entering races is choosing destinations that I've never been to and extend my travel experiences!  This year I finally visited Barcelona on the back of going to the city to take part in the Marathon.  Equally, I also took an overdue first venture to Lisbon recently to not only run the half marathon but also check out the culture and vibes.  We made sure to stay on for enough extra days to fully explore the galleries, sites and even the seaside!  Although it was an Autumnal trip we were blessed with sunny weather which perfectly extended the end of the Summer.

My top tip is travelling very slightly outside of the city to the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum for its Modern Art wing which is not only a fantastic Brutalist building but also bursting with great discoveries.

See more on my fitness blog here.

Monday 3rd December: "Another England: Human Stories" at NOW Gallery

 

Human Stories: Another England was a photographic exhibition surveying historical (100 years) and contemporary narratives in Black and Asian Heritage in England.  Here you can see a selection of the images curated by Kaia Charles including Notting Hill Carnival and portraits of couples at a Lovers' Rock night both from the late 1970's.  The show amassed rare archival imagery, photography and ephemera as insight into origins of diasporic migration, religion, home and working life.

The show at NOW Gallery also presented a series of new photographic commissions that reflect multicultural heritage for contemporary diversity.  Here are two of the artists: Theo White and Nina Manandhar with her documentation of "Gurkhas Sons".  She also exhibited a separate study of street-style from her project "What We Wore" as a series of postcards including portraits of Gilles Peterson and Mr. Hare from their sartorial youth.  

Congrats to NOW Gallery for constantly compiling compelling shows............. and a special appreciation from me for the private view on this one which had SOCA provided by Just Vibez!

Friday 12th October: Absolut PSM for London Cocktail Week - Final Photos

Thank you so much to everyone who visited my installation for Absolut over London Cocktail Week!  Here are Kish Kash (repeated in the reflection of the kaleidoscope, Camille Walala with Julia Jomaa, Grace Woodward with Kitty Joseph, Erika Soliven with Lena Romain and Louise Oliver, and bottom two photos thanks to ScottCanEat.  Top photo is a self-portrait on my way at Tottenham Court Road Station.

Friday 12th October: Absolut PSM for London Cocktail Week - Work In Progress

Absolut chose the nation's new favourite cocktail as inspiration for their presence at London Cocktail Week with their "Porn Star Martini Townhouse".  The immersive experience took each ingredient as an element to interpret across four floors of a beautiful Victorian building in Soho. I was brought on board to add my vision to the third floor for the zingy centre of the Porn Star Martini in a Passion Fruit Kaleidoscope. The multi-sensory journey through the townhouse brought to life the tastes, aromas and sensations of the cocktail which also includes Vanilla and Champagne.  The final stop on the top floor of the house was an Absolut Vanilla Bar, where visitors were given the opportunity to take part in a mixologist master-class.  The brand ambassador taught you how to make your own martini to finally taste all the flavours in the aromatic drink.

Here are shots from my initial development working with set builders "Scene 2" who helped convert by origami maquette into the final geodesic dome.  I really like these shots to see the complete construction of the semisphere that we built to represent the passion fruit.  This was concealed in the final installation as the experience was the inside world of the fractal form.  Here you could lay down on a soft undulating floor (the seeds) to look up at your reflection in a spinning kaleidoscope.  Part of the panelling was made from my favourite iridescent perspex which glowed a petroleum pink / purple / gold hue to perfectly echo the passion fruit colour palette.  Here are the plastic samples and tests where we tried out different foils.  These were also used in miniature icosahedrons hanging in the space as nectar pods to hold passion fruit marshmallows as the taste aspect of the immersive experience. 

(bottom two photos sourced from Scene 2)

Wednesday 19th September: Zandra Rhodes LFW SS19 “Looking Back, Looking Forward”

Zandra Rhodes “Looking Back, Looking Forward” at LFW for Spring Summer 2019, presented with jewellery by Andrew Logan

The title is an indication of Zandra's upcoming 50 year anniversary!  The collection has taken this theme by referencing her extensive back catalogue, incorporating prints and colours from 1969 to the present day.  Patterns such as her signature "Cacti, Frills, Punk and Wiggles" have been revisited and screen- printed by hand at her London atelier.  She has kept every single screen so here the racks are a real archive of her artwork which can automatically be re-visited.  These soft chiffons feature alongside her other trademark style of structural pleated metallics, my absolute favourite.  Total dream.    

Help fund the feature documentary "Zandra With A Zee" exploring the life & art of one of Britain's most iconic designers on the run up to this Jubilee Anniversary. Head over to the crowdfunding page to pledge here.