27th July - 31st August 2024
Kings Square in Gloucester
All part of the NG200 Art Road Trip with Create Gloucestershire and The National Gallery, London.
What was GAWP and NG200?
We collaborated with The National Gallery to bring more contemporary arts to Gloucester.
As part of this, we co-curated the exhibition "Representation" with our Young Creatives in our Pop-Up GAWP! Gallery on King’s Square.
The National Gallery Art Road Trip Bus parked on Kings Square with reproductions of artworks from the National Gallery, and NG facilitators hosted engaging art workshops in the GAWP! gallery.
"NG 200 celebrates the past and look forward to the future with a year-long festival of art, creativity and imagination, to set the tone for the third century of the National Gallery. " Create Glos is one of the host organisations for the travelling art studio programme, ‘Art Road Trip’, which brought 200 workshops and learning activities to different communities who otherwise would not have ready access. Find out more about NG200.
GAWP 2024 Highlights
ART INSTALLATIONS
As a response to the National Gallery, and reflecting on Gloucester's city centre we invited some key artists to explore the idea of 'monuments' in Kings Square.
CATRIONA ROBERTSON
Catriona Robertson is a Scottish/British artist living in London.
Catriona was commissioned by the Saatchi Gallery to create an immersive garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, 2023 in collaboration with David Green Gardens, exploring the re-wilding of future urban landscapes and re-imagining post -human ecologies. Following this ambitious work she was nominated for Women of the Year 2023 and was invited to exhibit ‘Gigantic Pile’ at the Art House in Wakefield.
Catriona installed 'Columnated Ruins Domino' on Kings Square - Paper-concrete, (re-cycled Newspaper pulp, Evening standard and London Metro), cement, pigment, welded steel.
JOKE AMUSAN
Joke Amusan is a German-Nigerian textile artist based in London, England.
Her art practice highlights the experiences and complex beauty of what it means to be a Black woman – through the exploration of identity and heritage. Joke’s art pieces are conversational, encouraging women to come together to share their stories and to embrace who they are unapologetically.
Joke exhibited these pieces at GAWP 24:
a. There Is No Limit To What We As Women Can Accomplish
b. This Is Our Story, This Is Our Tale
c. My Story Cannot Be Fit Into A Box
d. You Are Grounded And Your Roots Are Deep, You Will Not Fall Over
e. Connect Off-line
f. There Is Power In Being Vulnerable
DANIEL TRIVEDY
Daniel Trivedy is a multi-disciplinary artist of Indian descent based on the outskirts of Swansea.
"I use art as a method of enquiry and investigation. My working method involves a process of research, reflection and material play that rarely produces a definitive end or outcome. Instead I like to think of my work as small manifestations; something akin to hiatuses on a long journey. The influences in my work are varied and include critical theory, migration and colonialism underpinned by thoughts relating to personal identity and family history."
We loved bringing 'Welsh Emergency Blankets' to Gloucester - an ongoing series of work that responds to the proposal for Wales to become the first Nation of Sanctuary.
Welsh Emergency Blanket brings two visual elements and their associations together. The first element draws on the distinctive pattern of Welsh blankets. These blankets and their patterns have multiple associations, commonly; nostalgia, warmth, childhood, tradition, memory, comfort and heritage.
The second element is the gold emergency blanket. In contrast to the first element, the emergency blanket is mass-produced, cheap and utilitarian, commonly seen in documentary photography relating to refugee camps or migrants arriving on the shores of Europe; the association therefore is perhaps one of pain and suffering, but also of elsewhere and ‘others’.
A clip can be seen here:
BBC Two - The Story of Welsh Art, Series 1, Episode 3, Welsh Foil Blankets
COMMUNITY INSTALLATION
The installation is a collection of work created with our community groups around the theme of landscape and colour, in response to the post-impressionist painting in the National Gallery. Matson Makers have depicted Robinswood Hill and the River Severn. GAS Projects Art School Matson (11-16 year olds) have created a colourful flower garden, landscape rocks, drip paintings and a video of Matson. The tiled house was created with unaccompanied asylum-seeking children aged 16-18 at Bridge Training, around the theme of ‘home’.
Scroll through the gallery below to see details of the installations.
ON THE SQUARE
We had such an exciting time with Sadegh and Elisha from the National Gallery on Kings Square, painting with recycled objects from Gloucester Scrapstore and building a big sculpture.
Photographed by Kazz Hollick.
PEOPLE TAKING PART
All ages took part in activities inside the gallery, and interacted with the installations. We had two work experiences students who created the CLOUD ZONE as a chillout area, and we invited local artists to set-up to sell their work such as Sam Bates and Jemma Skidmore. Photographed by Kazz Hollick.
MUSIC
KAREEN MAY - CALMIFY
Kareen is a Mindfulness teacher, speaker, advocate of mental health, music lover & mindful DJ.
On Sunday 28th July Kareen May (AKA Calmify) brought her mindful DJ skills for a live set in Kings Square. Kareen DJed for GAWP! in 2023 and we adored the environment that she created, so we loved welcoming her back again.
“I created Calmify because I’ve seen first-hand the power that mindfulness can have. My techniques are a little special and always generate a fantastic response. From mindful music to socialising, connecting and introducing the calm in the everyday chaos."
ART EXHIBITION
Young Creatives from Gloucester co-curated in our Pop-Up GAWP! Gallery on King’s Square, with the theme of “Representation”.
GAWP! Exhibition, 40-44 Kingswalk, Kings Square, Gloucester, GL1 1RX
Co-curated with:
VIEW THE GALLERY
FEATURING
AARON PEEVER
Aaron Peever is a Welsh contemporary painter whose concepts evolve around alcohol culture and medieval terms.
Mainly being a figurative painter, Peever looks to capture a spectator’s point of view in his artwork and shows a window into people’s lives.
His painting style is an approach to contemporary realism with a painterly effect and a vibrant but muted colour palette.
JUSSARA NAZARÉ
Jussara Nazaré is a multidisciplinary Gloucester based artist with a focus on afro-queer surrealist art & performance.
Her work is often full of colour, patterns and life as it blooms in many forms.
From handmade jewellery, digital art prints, upcycled fashion or handcrafted paintings on canvas, wood, mushrooms, clothing and more.
Jussara’s background is in photography, fashion, graphic design and product design, with a BA Hons in Graphic Design from University of Gloucestershire, Jussara’s work can be versatile and applied to any medium. Often creating work from themes such as cultural exploration, the magic of nature, sustainability and abstract portraiture or landscapes.
Exhibited at GAWP! : EARTH, WIND, FIRE & SPIRIT
"These masks were originally passed down by friends and people that have crossed my path in the past whilst living in the UK, these are African heirlooms representative of each African nation’s traditional art and way of living.
I uplifted these masks to represent my loud, beautiful and colourful Sao Tomean culture. My country if full of joy, life and glow, with abundant green landscapes and paradise like attributes.
It is important for me as a Luso-African creative to stay in touch with my roots whilst developing my own essence and talking about issues that matter to me such a representation of black women within the arts. I don’t feel black women are represented enough or fairly in art galleries, from a young age, all I wanted was to see artists that looked like me receive the same level of recognition as our fellow Caucasian creatives, because black arts matter“.
NEVE AK
Neve Ak (b. 2001) is a Gloucestershire-born interdisciplinary Creative based in London.
Ak explores her relationship to her Religious and Cultural identity as a British Woman of Colour from a mixed-heritage mixed-religious upbringing. Her work delves into various social concerns, such as Gentrification, growing up in Council Housing, Racism and Islamophobia, as well as growing up in a Single-Parent Household.
RONNIE MCGRATH
Ronnie McGrath is a neo-surrealist artist, writer, educator, and poet.
"I interweave symbolisms of a sacred and cosmological nature to explore notions of beauty, spirituality, and the metaphysical plane, in an avant-garde, postmodern, neo-surrealist style. Always in my work is the pursuit of what is considered ‘beautiful’. For me, a highly subjective term, the notion of beauty is inextricably linked to the exploration of a ‘Blackness’ which is both mutable and whenever necessary, strategically placed in its affirmation of a positive re-presentation of Black identity.
With an emphasis on play, the fecundity of my post-Black aesthetic is informed by an interest in such disparate cultural ideas and spiritual movements as Vodou, Afro-Surrealism, ancient Egyptian symbolism, music, and Surrealism. I believe in an art that engages the viewer on many levels. An art that is downright serious in its interrogation of what it means to be a ‘Black’ artist in the 21st century and yet, can loosen up and simply revel in the mystery of creation itself.
I work in various mediums ranging from acrylic on canvas boards (this forms the bulk of my latest work), to found art objects which often manifest in mixed media works consisting of wood, plastic, glass, cowrie shells, and artist resin."
STEFANIA DISTANTE
Stefania Distante is an award-winning photographer, awarded an Honorable Mention in the highly prestigious International Photography Awards (IPA) 2023.
The English countryside welcomes everyone; it isn't reserved for the enjoyment of privileged minorities. The images from this project capture an event for asylum seekers and refugees, where kites soared high, symbolising the unity of diverse communities and traditions. The skies embrace migratory birds, and the ground reverberates with all our footsteps, irrespective of our origins. Participants agreed to be portrayed in an unrecognisable manner, highlighting their transition and uncertainty as their lives oscillate between danger and the hope of safety.
KATIE TAYLOR
Katie Taylor is a historical fantasy costume designer and maker based in Gloucester, UK.
Exhibited at GAWP:
The Costume for Gloucester, Sept 2023, Voices Gloucester, photo by Stefania Distante
This garment was designed in a collaboration with Voices Gloucester for the Gloucester Day parade. The historical coat was adorned with the work of 130 local stitchers who embroidered memories and stories of the city.
Concept Piece, Museum of Gloucester ‘Buttons, Badges and Blazers’ exhibition 2023
This piece was a commissioned by Museum of Gloucester to create a contemporary uniform. It was heavily inspired by dystopian, space and cyberpunk themes, created from scrap, donated, or reused items with fibre optic accessories.
Druiddress Swamp Realness look for Revive Couture Fashion Show, modelled by Chloe Mydiaa, 2024. Druiddress is Katie’s own emerging clothing brand inspired by mythology, nature, and the grunge aesthetic.
Chispa Cyber Girl, editorial shoot for Eliysha Fossard Photography, collaboration with HMUA Tara Page, 2024
DAN GUTHRIE
Dan Guthrie is an artist who often works with the moving image to explore representations and mis-representations of Black Britishness with an interest in examining how they manifest themselves in rural areas.
Selected screenings and exhibitions include Open City Documentary Festival, Devonshire Collective, Prismatic Ground, Berlinale Forum Expanded and LUX. Guthrie is currently working on a new moving image co-commission for Spike Island and Chisenhale Gallery which will open in 2025.
After seeing him mentioned on a Bishop’s Transcript held in Gloucestershire Archives, Dan goes for a walk in the woods in search of Daniel, a man buried in Nympsfield on the 31st of December 1719 and described on the document as ‘a black stranger’. Whilst walking, Dan talks directly to Daniel, speculating about the parallels between him and his namesake and wrestling aloud with the problems that come with trying to read the archive at face value and fill in its gaps.
black strangers was part of Right of Way, a new feature-length programme that mixes stunning new artists’ commissions with historical archive films that give a bigger picture of questions of access and inclusion in the UK countryside - shown at GAWP 2024.
ZARIQ ROSITA-HANIF
Zariq Rosita-Hanif is a multi-disciplinary artist and illustrator.
As a full time artist-illustrator, she has created the brand Malaygirl.UK and produces Batik work to stay in touch with her heritage as well as promote it. She is also a freelance illustrator for independent authors and nonprofit organisations.
"Bunga Raya" (pictured above) from "The Flower of My Pride (2023)" series are from a project entitled Perempuan Macam Dia (The Women Like Her), a work in progress, initiated during a residency with D6:Culture in Transit, MedeArts, Arthereistanbul and Fanak Fund in Newcastle in December 2022.
RUBY FORBES
Ruby Ebuni Forbes is a mixed media artist, currently based in the southwest of England, who aims to depict her subjects in expressive colour and layers of texture. Influenced by kawaii culture, horror tropes and day-to-day life, her work is as varied as her inspirations; but with a consistent focus on characters and creatures.
Exhibited at GAWP :
‘Nina and the Kiwi’ & ‘Momo’
“These portraits of my mother and sister represent their importance in my life. Whether I depict them on a large canvas or on a torn out page of my sketchbook, taking the time to paint them is a way of telling them how amazing I think they are.”
‘Bed Of Glory’
“This piece is inspired by the Epic of Gilgamesh: believed to be the oldest written story in the world. In this sculpture I aim to challenge western-centric fantasy imagery while emphasising the dramatic scene with striking colour.”
TIA CALLUM
Tia Callum aka Figure ATE is an Gloucester born multidisciplinary artist. Focusing her work on how to encourage healing the past and future generations.
Exhibited at GAWP:
See Through - poem and collage about mental health (pictured above).
"The pictures I chose include some of the hidden reasons and triggers behind our actions, and situations we see ourselves in. This is something that isn’t usually externally seen."
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I would use the past as a mask.
Holding on.. and so my delusions would forever last.
However I escaped through the yellow tape…
Because I seen the truth of my direction, and heartfelt reflections that are guiding my intentions.
Things call for me.
It’s just like the communication between the trees. When they’re in need.
They give and receive.
But no matter what you believe, I can still choose what I want to achieve.
P.s Understand your truth and run with it Kings and Queens. Expressing it reveals a powerful knowledge meant for you.
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DANIELLE TIPTON
Danielle Tipton is an artist based in Gloucester using Phototherapy to create autobiographical work around her difficult childhood.
As an adult, the harsh shadows of depression and anxiety as a result of this remain, but she allows these overwhelming emotions to enable her creatively. Her work is realised with photography, poetry and performance.
CHLOE OWEN
Chloe is a Gloucester based working-class creative, emerging theatre maker and make up artist who has produced flash mobs, event slots at the Rooftops festival, theatre shows and was an active creative in producing the show ‘Queer Talk’ (2023) with Strike a Light.
Working Class Hero (exhibited at GAWP) is a direct response to dominant negative representations of white working class men, recognised by The BFI Film academy. It’s a brilliant first-time endeavour into the possibilities of film-making & photography as a tool for activism, arguing for more positive representations of white working class men.
“This form of class hatred has become integral.. It presents in newspapers, tv comedy shows, films, internet forums, social networking sites and everyday conversations." (Chavs by Owen Jones)
NADIYAA JAFFER
Nadiyaa is an Artist and Textile Designer from the South West of England who graduated in 2021 with a First Class Honours in Textile design for Fashion and Interiors in Bath. Nadiyaa sells her designs internationally from Japan to Australia to LA and Germany.
“My work is primarily digital based, although I love working with traditional watercolours, gouache and acrylic paints. I'm passionate about representation of people from different cultures, including myself who is of mixed Indian heritage. The 'Indian nights' collection is heavily influenced by rich colours and patterns, as well as the vibrancy of wildlife and Nature with a bohemian twist.”
ABOUT NG 200
With The National Gallery & Create Gloucestershire
"NG 200 celebrates the past and look forward to the future with a year-long festival of art, creativity and imagination, to set the tone for the third century of the National Gallery. There are events planned in the central London gallery as well as up and down the country."
Create Glos is one of the host organisations for the travelling art studio programme, ‘Art Road Trip’, which brought 200 workshops and learning activities to different communities who otherwise would not have ready access.
We worked with Create Glos alongside partner organisations from across the county (Forest of Dean Working Group, Cam & Dursley Creatives, The Venture: White City and Culture Matson) to welcome the travelling art studio to 4 locations in July 2024. We had an excellent road trip to the National Gallery on 25th March 2024, as part of the Gloucestershire HAF Programme.
Funded by :
