Friday 14th July: "WALALA X PLAY" at NOW Gallery

If you go down to the Greenwich Peninsula today, you're in for a big surprise!  Camille Walala has turned NOW Gallery into her own version of a funfair playground.  The installation of patterned and reflective walls take you on a journey through colour with intersections conjuring up different combinations of line and shape.  The theme for her "temple of wonder" is to play.   She's inviting the audience into a 3D world of her 2D murals so they can become lost in the twists and turns of the Memphis style maze.  

For the opening night we were given allotted times to venture into the tardis to run round and out again so that everyone could have a turn.  This added to the frenzied fun of getting lost and confusion in the mirrored surfaces merging the graphics as optical illusions.  I joked that it might be like a sportive where a sweeper truck would appear to clear us up.  Sure enough the invigilators had the impossible task of peeling people out of their selfie modes and move them on.   Im looking forward to returning for the complete submersion experience and also play on the ping pong tables she's positioned outside.  How French!  How Camille!  The perfect opening for Bastille Day! 

14 Jul - 24 Sep 2017

NOW Gallery, Peninsula Square, Greenwich Peninsula, SE10 0SQ

Thursday 13th July: Lakwena's "The Future's Gold" at KKOutlet

Thanks to Magda Kagwa for these photos from Lakwena's preview at KKOutlet for her new show "The Future's Gold". I CANNOT wait to get there myself to see the joyous work that connects the floor to the walls and the list of works displayed.

It's full circle with my book that is stocked in their shop and features the gallery, whilst the cover is shot infront of Lakwena's mural at FRAME around the corner!  Totally cosmic!!

Wednesday 28th June: Paintbox Hair Dyes at Fudge

Here is my latest rainbow wave hair thanks to Tracy Hayes at Fudge using their Paintbox hair dyes.  We are creating a hidden spectrum under my blonde so I have a blank canvas to start afresh each time.  The colour is revealed when I wear it up as you can see in the still from my "Bun Drop" movie clip above.  Head over to my Running Rainbow blog for how it looked braided from my weekend at Be:FIT Festival here.

Tuesday 27th June: Royal College Of Art MA Shows

Congratulations to this year's graduates from the Royal College of Art who just presented their final static show, including the textile students who I recently visited for tutorials.  My favourite was Lok Ka Kong who weaves recycled waste material to make these cosmic plant pot solutions called "Turn Trash into Treasure"(top photo).  

Other works here include Pratik Ghosh's plant air purifiers, Emma McCusker's mixed media textile sculptures,  Kyungmin Han's Colour Toolkit for VR, Pasquale Totaro's pyramid synth, Nathan Webb's solar panel pattern blinds, Monika Haeussler-Goeschl's knitted installation and Jacob Patterson's knitted socks!

Monday 26th June: Francis Kéré's Serpentine pavilion

 

Francis Kéré's beautiful Serpentine pavilion for 2017

Saturday 24th June: V&A Summer Party 2017

I compared the catering at last year's inaugural V&A Summer Party to the epic proportions in the saccharine scenes of Sophia Coppola's film Marie Antionette.  Its wasn't my memory fantasising, it was actually a real measure as I re-lived those moreish moments again this week at the 2nd annual event to support the Museum's collection.  

The Summer Solstice heatwave was the perfect balmy night to enjoy the open courtyard and water garden of the majestic museum. NAO played an acoustic set whilst we munched our way thru the buffet of beef wellington and handmade mouth-watering meringues 'n' marshmallows.  Harrods had prepared the feast with bars shaking up collins cocktails and popping fizz to keep flowing til the departing gesture of an espresso martini as a digestif.  

We made sure to get involved in the "photobooth" but this was like no other regular camera with props for special effects - this was a stage set like an artist's studio from the 1930's.  Actors were on hand posing as protagonists in an imaginary narrative, taking our photo on an old plate camera and discussing their friend Peggy Guggenheim.  It was totally out of this world and great, great fun.  I'll be counting down the days again till next year! 

Read my review of the current Balenciaga show here.