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“Artichokes”

This exhibition celebrates the life and work of Judith Downie (1934-2016), Kentish Town painter, etcher, teacher and cook.

Judith was born in Ashington, Northumberland and studied painting and etching at King’s College, Newcastle in the 1950s, under Lawrence Gowing, Richard Hamilton and Victor Pasmore.  This was at the time when Newcastle was pioneering the famous ‘Basic Design’ course, which created a revolution in art education in the UK.  Judith went on to teach at Newcastle before going to Paris to work at SW Hayter’s etching studio, Atelier 17.

After leaving Art School, Judith lived and worked in Paris, London and New York.  She taught at Leicester Polytechnic and Chelsea School of Art.  In 1968 she and her friend Zena Flax established a group of printmakers in North London, called Printers Inc, holding annual exhibitions of their work.  In retirement Judith continued to teach etching from her home in Kentish Town – her kitchen famously was dominated by her large etching press which doubled as a kitchen counter.

Judith’s early work was largely abstract and concerned with process, but counter-intuitively became increasingly figurative as her natural pre-occupation with landscape, animals and food re-asserted itself. Her later work expresses her life-long obsession with drawing, form, pattern and technique while anchoring itself explicitly in her day-to-day life and cultural influences.

Her love of animals began in childhood; after retiring from teaching she owned a pet shop, and for the last twenty years of her life she lived with a tyrannical ‘free range’ cockatiel called ‘Beaky’, who features prominently in her work, along with the pets of friends and other animals that caught her eye; all were closely observed.  Food was the other lifelong passion, which increasingly found expression in both her etching and painting.  Judith was a semi-professional cook and generous host who owned over 1000 cookery books; the place food occupies in her work expresses the excitement of her post-war generation newly brought into contact with French and Mediterranean cooking.  Just as Cezanne was a continuous reference point in her painting, so Elizabeth David was her touchstone in cooking.  Her etching ‘Homage to Elizabeth David’, which depicts both the casserole belonging to David, which Judith bought at auction, and her well-used copy of French Provincial Cooking, perfectly captures both these influences.

‘I paint and etch the things I live with, like and eat, as I need to gaze at them for a long time.  Richard Gregory (he of ‘The Eye and the Brain’) says that painting is impossible, but I think of figurative painting as more like magic.  It is wonderful that some brush, pencil or ink marks on a flat surface can vividly conjure up the three-dimensional world.  It is magic to look at paint and feel the weight of an apple, to know that brush-marks are brush-marks, but to see in them the distance between solid objects or between trees and hills.  The complexity of perception is a mystery and the ultimate subject matter.’

All work will be for sale.

Highgate Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.  Exhibition continues until 16 May.

“Artichokes”

This exhibition celebrates the life and work of Judith Downie (1934-2016), Kentish Town painter, etcher, teacher and cook.

Judith was born in Ashington, Northumberland and studied painting and etching at King’s College, Newcastle in the 1950s, under Lawrence Gowing, Richard Hamilton and Victor Pasmore.  This was at the time when Newcastle was pioneering the famous ‘Basic Design’ course, which created a revolution in art education in the UK.  Judith went on to teach at Newcastle before going to Paris to work at SW Hayter’s etching studio, Atelier 17.

After leaving Art School, Judith lived and worked in Paris, London and New York.  She taught at Leicester Polytechnic and Chelsea School of Art.  In 1968 she and her friend Zena Flax established a group of printmakers in North London, called Printers Inc, holding annual exhibitions of their work.  In retirement Judith continued to teach etching from her home in Kentish Town – her kitchen famously was dominated by her large etching press which doubled as a kitchen counter.

Judith’s early work was largely abstract and concerned with process, but counter-intuitively became increasingly figurative as her natural pre-occupation with landscape, animals and food re-asserted itself. Her later work expresses her life-long obsession with drawing, form, pattern and technique while anchoring itself explicitly in her day-to-day life and cultural influences.

Her love of animals began in childhood; after retiring from teaching she owned a pet shop, and for the last twenty years of her life she lived with a tyrannical ‘free range’ cockatiel called ‘Beaky’, who features prominently in her work, along with the pets of friends and other animals that caught her eye; all were closely observed.  Food was the other lifelong passion, which increasingly found expression in both her etching and painting.  Judith was a semi-professional cook and generous host who owned over 1000 cookery books; the place food occupies in her work expresses the excitement of her post-war generation newly brought into contact with French and Mediterranean cooking.  Just as Cezanne was a continuous reference point in her painting, so Elizabeth David was her touchstone in cooking.  Her etching ‘Homage to Elizabeth David’, which depicts both the casserole belonging to David, which Judith bought at auction, and her well-used copy of French Provincial Cooking, perfectly captures both these influences.

‘I paint and etch the things I live with, like and eat, as I need to gaze at them for a long time.  Richard Gregory (he of ‘The Eye and the Brain’) says that painting is impossible, but I think of figurative painting as more like magic.  It is wonderful that some brush, pencil or ink marks on a flat surface can vividly conjure up the three-dimensional world.  It is magic to look at paint and feel the weight of an apple, to know that brush-marks are brush-marks, but to see in them the distance between solid objects or between trees and hills.  The complexity of perception is a mystery and the ultimate subject matter.’

All work will be for sale.

Highgate Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.  Exhibition continues until 16 May.

We are now taking bookings for the Summer 2019 term of Portraiture & Figure Drawing!

Working from a live model, this class is aimed at artists of all levels, including beginners and advanced students, who wish to expand their skills in portraiture and figure drawing. Taught by our experienced art tutor, Zoe Hirson, this course looks at anatomy and spends some time focusing on drawing a single pose.

Materials will be provided.

The cost for the entire term is £205 (concessions £185).

Join our us on the first Tuesday of the month for a free lunchtime concert.

A wonderful way to break up the working day, our lunchtime concerts offer 45 minutes of gorgeous classical music performed live in the elegant and historic setting of our Long Gallery.

Each lunchtime concert runs from 1.15pm to 2pm, and is free and open to all. There is no ticket required – simply turn up and take a seat. Doors will open at 1pm.

We are now taking bookings for the Summer 2019 term of Still Life – Introductory Art.

This weekly class offers both beginners and developing students the chance to explore their creative potential in drawing, focusing mainly on Still Life. During the term the class will explore essential drawing techniques – observation, perspective, negative spaces, mark-making and composition.

Taught by art tutor, Zoe Hirson, this is a general art course suitable for anyone looking to expand and practice their skill set. An informal, friendly and loosely structured class, Introductory Art allows participants to explore the areas and techniques that they find most useful.

The cost for the entire term is £205 (concessions £185).

We are now taking bookings for the Summer Term of our Painting with Watercolours and Acrylics art course.

This class is the perfect opportunity to learn the basics of two wonderful paint mediums; how to mix, blend and layer watercolour and how to apply acrylic. Explore how to make dynamic compositions that produce interesting paintings using still Life, photographs and sketches as inspiration.

On warm days in the Spring and Summer, this class is sometimes taught outside, taking advantage of the stunning scenery of Waterlow Park.

Our art tutor, Sharon Finmark, lives in North London and studied at Central St. Martins School of Art.  She has had several books published on painting and drawing.

The cost for the entire term is £225 (concessions £205).

Andrew Cleyndert with Nadim Teimoori (saxophones), Mark Edwards (piano) and Winston Clifford (drums)

It is hard to overestimate the sheer amount of experience of Andrew Cleyndert. An incredibly youthful spirit, he was Ronnie Scott’s last bass player and has performed at the highest level over three decades.

Cleyndert has performed at Lauderdale House many times, not least with the iconic Stan Tracey and as recently as last December with the wonderful Tony Kofi Cannonball Adderley project. So we welcome his decision to step up and lead a band himself!

Brighton’s Mark Edwards is a phenomenal pianist, who worked regularly with the late – and truly great – Bobby Wellins. Winston Clifford is an outstanding drummer (and Director Katherine Ives’s favourite). When Winston is on the band, the swing is going to be right in the pocket! Which leaves one new face to be savoured; tenor Nadim Teimoori. When our programmer Brian Blain heard him perform three years ago, he was blown away by his talent. He now lives in Doncaster and is coming down specially for this gig.

Jazz in the House continues with Andrew Cleyndert featuring Mark Edwards, Winston Clifford and Nadim Teimoori. Doors open at 8pm and the concert begins at 8.30pm. The bar will be open from late afternoon for drinks and snacks.

Join us this May for a stylish and playful reworking of the Cinderella story featuring incredible puppetry.

“Banyan strip away the Disney-glitz to reveal a plucky heronine who is both witty and charming” – The Scotsman

“Brilliantly inventive… enchanting” – The Stage

Step into a magical world where everyday objects become characters. Follow one heroic puppet’s journey towards happiness. Cinderella Ashputtel is an inventive and imaginative adaptation which will delight both young and old.

Cinderella Ashputtel is suitable for children aged 3 to 8. The show will be followed by a free arts and crafts session.

“Artichokes”

This exhibition celebrates the life and work of Judith Downie (1934-2016), Kentish Town painter, etcher, teacher and cook.

Judith was born in Ashington, Northumberland and studied painting and etching at King’s College, Newcastle in the 1950s, under Lawrence Gowing, Richard Hamilton and Victor Pasmore.  This was at the time when Newcastle was pioneering the famous ‘Basic Design’ course, which created a revolution in art education in the UK.  Judith went on to teach at Newcastle before going to Paris to work at SW Hayter’s etching studio, Atelier 17.

After leaving Art School, Judith lived and worked in Paris, London and New York.  She taught at Leicester Polytechnic and Chelsea School of Art.  In 1968 she and her friend Zena Flax established a group of printmakers in North London, called Printers Inc, holding annual exhibitions of their work.  In retirement Judith continued to teach etching from her home in Kentish Town – her kitchen famously was dominated by her large etching press which doubled as a kitchen counter.

Judith’s early work was largely abstract and concerned with process, but counter-intuitively became increasingly figurative as her natural pre-occupation with landscape, animals and food re-asserted itself. Her later work expresses her life-long obsession with drawing, form, pattern and technique while anchoring itself explicitly in her day-to-day life and cultural influences.

Her love of animals began in childhood; after retiring from teaching she owned a pet shop, and for the last twenty years of her life she lived with a tyrannical ‘free range’ cockatiel called ‘Beaky’, who features prominently in her work, along with the pets of friends and other animals that caught her eye; all were closely observed.  Food was the other lifelong passion, which increasingly found expression in both her etching and painting.  Judith was a semi-professional cook and generous host who owned over 1000 cookery books; the place food occupies in her work expresses the excitement of her post-war generation newly brought into contact with French and Mediterranean cooking.  Just as Cezanne was a continuous reference point in her painting, so Elizabeth David was her touchstone in cooking.  Her etching ‘Homage to Elizabeth David’, which depicts both the casserole belonging to David, which Judith bought at auction, and her well-used copy of French Provincial Cooking, perfectly captures both these influences.

‘I paint and etch the things I live with, like and eat, as I need to gaze at them for a long time.  Richard Gregory (he of ‘The Eye and the Brain’) says that painting is impossible, but I think of figurative painting as more like magic.  It is wonderful that some brush, pencil or ink marks on a flat surface can vividly conjure up the three-dimensional world.  It is magic to look at paint and feel the weight of an apple, to know that brush-marks are brush-marks, but to see in them the distance between solid objects or between trees and hills.  The complexity of perception is a mystery and the ultimate subject matter.’

All work will be for sale.

Highgate Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.  Exhibition continues until 16 May.

“Artichokes”

This exhibition celebrates the life and work of Judith Downie (1934-2016), Kentish Town painter, etcher, teacher and cook.

Judith was born in Ashington, Northumberland and studied painting and etching at King’s College, Newcastle in the 1950s, under Lawrence Gowing, Richard Hamilton and Victor Pasmore.  This was at the time when Newcastle was pioneering the famous ‘Basic Design’ course, which created a revolution in art education in the UK.  Judith went on to teach at Newcastle before going to Paris to work at SW Hayter’s etching studio, Atelier 17.

After leaving Art School, Judith lived and worked in Paris, London and New York.  She taught at Leicester Polytechnic and Chelsea School of Art.  In 1968 she and her friend Zena Flax established a group of printmakers in North London, called Printers Inc, holding annual exhibitions of their work.  In retirement Judith continued to teach etching from her home in Kentish Town – her kitchen famously was dominated by her large etching press which doubled as a kitchen counter.

Judith’s early work was largely abstract and concerned with process, but counter-intuitively became increasingly figurative as her natural pre-occupation with landscape, animals and food re-asserted itself. Her later work expresses her life-long obsession with drawing, form, pattern and technique while anchoring itself explicitly in her day-to-day life and cultural influences.

Her love of animals began in childhood; after retiring from teaching she owned a pet shop, and for the last twenty years of her life she lived with a tyrannical ‘free range’ cockatiel called ‘Beaky’, who features prominently in her work, along with the pets of friends and other animals that caught her eye; all were closely observed.  Food was the other lifelong passion, which increasingly found expression in both her etching and painting.  Judith was a semi-professional cook and generous host who owned over 1000 cookery books; the place food occupies in her work expresses the excitement of her post-war generation newly brought into contact with French and Mediterranean cooking.  Just as Cezanne was a continuous reference point in her painting, so Elizabeth David was her touchstone in cooking.  Her etching ‘Homage to Elizabeth David’, which depicts both the casserole belonging to David, which Judith bought at auction, and her well-used copy of French Provincial Cooking, perfectly captures both these influences.

‘I paint and etch the things I live with, like and eat, as I need to gaze at them for a long time.  Richard Gregory (he of ‘The Eye and the Brain’) says that painting is impossible, but I think of figurative painting as more like magic.  It is wonderful that some brush, pencil or ink marks on a flat surface can vividly conjure up the three-dimensional world.  It is magic to look at paint and feel the weight of an apple, to know that brush-marks are brush-marks, but to see in them the distance between solid objects or between trees and hills.  The complexity of perception is a mystery and the ultimate subject matter.’

All work will be for sale.

Highgate Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.  Exhibition continues until 16 May.

We are now taking bookings for the Summer 2019 term of Portraiture & Figure Drawing!

Working from a live model, this class is aimed at artists of all levels, including beginners and advanced students, who wish to expand their skills in portraiture and figure drawing. Taught by our experienced art tutor, Zoe Hirson, this course looks at anatomy and spends some time focusing on drawing a single pose.

Materials will be provided.

The cost for the entire term is £205 (concessions £185).

We are now taking bookings for the Summer 2019 term of Still Life – Introductory Art.

This weekly class offers both beginners and developing students the chance to explore their creative potential in drawing, focusing mainly on Still Life. During the term the class will explore essential drawing techniques – observation, perspective, negative spaces, mark-making and composition.

Taught by art tutor, Zoe Hirson, this is a general art course suitable for anyone looking to expand and practice their skill set. An informal, friendly and loosely structured class, Introductory Art allows participants to explore the areas and techniques that they find most useful.

The cost for the entire term is £205 (concessions £185).

The May Music Hall Show features Tommy Parsons, Barbara Kealy, Sheila Miller, Martin Nail and Mike Francis, with Pamela Mundy in the Chair and Derek Marcus at the piano.  We hope the audience will join in the choruses!

We are now taking bookings for the Summer Term of our Painting with Watercolours and Acrylics art course.

This class is the perfect opportunity to learn the basics of two wonderful paint mediums; how to mix, blend and layer watercolour and how to apply acrylic. Explore how to make dynamic compositions that produce interesting paintings using still Life, photographs and sketches as inspiration.

On warm days in the Spring and Summer, this class is sometimes taught outside, taking advantage of the stunning scenery of Waterlow Park.

Our art tutor, Sharon Finmark, lives in North London and studied at Central St. Martins School of Art.  She has had several books published on painting and drawing.

The cost for the entire term is £225 (concessions £205).

Robert Mitchell with Tom Mason (double bass) and Saleem Raman (drums)             

Robert Mitchell is one of a newer breed of jazz artists seeking to go beyond easy, superficial flair, revealing an enormous strength in his playing, alongside lyricism and great beauty.

Mitchell’s album Epiphany was voted Jazz in Europe magazine’s No. 1 in 2018. The magazine said “he is the artist par excellence.”

Jazz in the House continues with the Robert Mitchell’s Epiphany 3 featuring Tom Mason and Saleem Raman. Doors open at 8pm and the concert begins at 8.30pm. The bar will be open from late afternoon for drinks and snacks.

We are now taking bookings for the Summer 2019 term of Portraiture & Figure Drawing!

Working from a live model, this class is aimed at artists of all levels, including beginners and advanced students, who wish to expand their skills in portraiture and figure drawing. Taught by our experienced art tutor, Zoe Hirson, this course looks at anatomy and spends some time focusing on drawing a single pose.

Materials will be provided.

The cost for the entire term is £205 (concessions £185).

We are now taking bookings for the Summer 2019 term of Still Life – Introductory Art.

This weekly class offers both beginners and developing students the chance to explore their creative potential in drawing, focusing mainly on Still Life. During the term the class will explore essential drawing techniques – observation, perspective, negative spaces, mark-making and composition.

Taught by art tutor, Zoe Hirson, this is a general art course suitable for anyone looking to expand and practice their skill set. An informal, friendly and loosely structured class, Introductory Art allows participants to explore the areas and techniques that they find most useful.

The cost for the entire term is £205 (concessions £185).

We are now taking bookings for the Summer Term of our Painting with Watercolours and Acrylics art course.

This class is the perfect opportunity to learn the basics of two wonderful paint mediums; how to mix, blend and layer watercolour and how to apply acrylic. Explore how to make dynamic compositions that produce interesting paintings using still Life, photographs and sketches as inspiration.

On warm days in the Spring and Summer, this class is sometimes taught outside, taking advantage of the stunning scenery of Waterlow Park.

Our art tutor, Sharon Finmark, lives in North London and studied at Central St. Martins School of Art.  She has had several books published on painting and drawing.

The cost for the entire term is £225 (concessions £205).

Shireen Francis returns for a third visit to Lauderdale House! Every time, her warm and engaging personality make an incredible impact – she is one of those artists who really believes in taking her audience along with her.

Francis is totally at ease with the classic American Songbook – as her tribute to Peggy and Ella on her last visit to the House demonstrated so well – as well as relating to the blues and gospel influences of artists like Aretha Franklin, Etta James and Nina Simone.

“A brilliant vocalist whose beguiling performance left me wanting more” – Jazzwise magazine.

Shireen has forged a great relationship with her musicians, led by the formidable pianist Gunther Kurmayr. They go well beyond the ‘singer with pick up Trio’ formula.

Shireen Francis performs as part of this season’s Jazz in the House, alongside Gunther Kurmayr, Josh Kemp, Manuel Alvarez and Dave Ingamells. Doors open at 8pm and the concert begins at 8.30pm. The bar will be open from late afternoon for drinks and snacks.

A Bank Holiday Afternoon of Palm Court Music by the Aspidistra Drawing Room Orchestra.

The Aspidistra Drawing Room Orchestra returns to Lauderdale house with a new selection of the popular tunes and songs from the beginning of the 20th century. The orchestra consists of string quartet, piano, flute and oboe, and has been praised for its lively interpretation of the genre.

The programme consists of tunes that should never have been forgotten and some that never will be.

The concert is a perfect introduction to classical music for youngsters and refreshing change for the veterans.

Chris Laurence with Frank Ricotti (vibes), John Parricelli (guitar), and Martin France (drums)        

When it comes to jazz, playing the game of ‘who’s best?’ is surely a no-win situation. But anyone who was present the last time this band played at Lauderdale would have been sorely tempted to say Chris Laurence!

Laurence’s band mines a rich seam of mostly British composers like John Surman, Stan Sulzmann, John Parricelli (not to mention honorary Brit Kenny Wheeler!) with a soupcon of Steve Swallow. Their last show was one of the finest concerts that we have been privileged to present.

Chris Laurence returns for Jazz in the House, with Frank Ricotti, John Parricelli, and Martin France. Doors open at 8pm and the concert begins at 8.30pm. The bar will be open from late afternoon for drinks and snacks.

Peace and Resolution Solo exhibition by Katy Sayers Green

31 May – 13 June 2019

Highgate Gallery is delighted to host Katy Sayers Green’s ‘Peace and Resolution’, an exhibition of large mixed media paintings, alongside small scale relief sculpture.  This work focuses on intractable conflict; from the personal to the political, using the conflict in the Middle East as the central focus and inspiration.

The emphasis is to explore through visual means routes to peace and resolution and hope for the future.  Whilst focusing on this particular conflict, Katy also hopes that the resonances in the artwork are universal.

This body of work has been produced as a result of a two month sojourn in Israel in 2018: a summer programme at Hebrew University looking at the complexities of the region and possible paths to peace, followed by a ceramic art residency at the inspirational Benyamini Contemporary Ceramics Centre in Tel Aviv.  Katy is a painter with a strong interest in layers and 3-dimensional form; working with ceramics for the first time opened up wonderful new possibilities.

The visual language came about during the Tel Aviv Art Residency.  Seeds and fruit and other natural produce of the region started appearing in her ceramic work.  Seeds offer a promise of hope, of renewal, of something shared between the two peoples.  This organic source material is very connected to the land and therefore to the identities of all those involved.  Katy expresses visually the connection of both peoples to the land in a visceral way.  This work could be described as a form of figurative abstraction.

Katy pressed porcelain into the seeds and fruit to create small-scale impressions, often fragile and transparent – like the seeds of hope themselves.  On her return to the UK, she started thinking of the converse of this situation, by pressing and laying the seeds and fruit on to the canvas to make a reverse impression.

The narratives of the two peoples are entirely different and by approaching the project from the other side, in a literal sense, she replicates what is happening in this conflict in visual form.  Perhaps, at the interface between these two sides is where peace and resolution can be found.

Katy has recently started an Art Instagram  @katy_sayers_green where she is documenting her art practice in the run up to this exhibition.

There will be four accompanying events to this exhibition which are open to the public (see below).

The exhibition is supported by StandWithUs UK – https://standwithus.co.uk – an Israel education charity.  The art collection is inspired by a love for Israel and a wish to creatively visualise what a just society for all its inhabitants might look like in the future.

 Events

• Friday 31 May, 6-8pm – Private View of Exhibition.
• Sunday 2 June, 11.30am.  Artist tour of exhibition.  (Please gather at 11.20am.) The tour will last approximately one hour and light refreshments will be available.  Katy will talk about her time in Israel and how it relates to her work.
• Thursday 6 June, 8pm (doors open 7.30pm).  £10 on the door. Highgate Film Society: “Frantz”, 2017.  The film explores healing and forgiveness across borders.  Writer-director François Ozon thoughtfully probes the aftermath of World War I through memories and relationships of loved ones left behind.
• Tuesday 11 June, 8pm (doors open at 7.30pm).  £5 on the door.  Lecture: Sana Knaneh, Development Director for UK Friends of the Bereaved Families Forum, is a Palestinian who grew up in the Galilee region of Israel.  She will discuss the reconciliation and peace building work of this organisation in the region.  Light refreshments will be available.

Peace and Resolution.  Solo exhibition by Katy Sayers Green.  31 May – 13 June 2019

Highgate Gallery is delighted to host Katy Sayers Green’s ‘Peace and Resolution’, an exhibition of large mixed media paintings, alongside small scale relief sculpture.  This work focuses on intractable conflict; from the personal to the political, using the conflict in the Middle East as the central focus and inspiration.

The emphasis is to explore through visual means routes to peace and resolution and hope for the future.  Whilst focusing on this particular conflict, Katy also hopes that the resonances in the artwork are universal.

This body of work has been produced as a result of a two month sojourn in Israel in 2018: a summer programme at Hebrew University looking at the complexities of the region and possible paths to peace, followed by a ceramic art residency at the inspirational Benyamini Contemporary Ceramics Centre in Tel Aviv.  Katy is a painter with a strong interest in layers and 3-dimensional form; working with ceramics for the first time opened up wonderful new possibilities.

The visual language came about during the Tel Aviv Art Residency.  Seeds and fruit and other natural produce of the region started appearing in her ceramic work.  Seeds offer a promise of hope, of renewal, of something shared between the two peoples.  This organic source material is very connected to the land and therefore to the identities of all those involved.  Katy expresses visually the connection of both peoples to the land in a visceral way.  This work could be described as a form of figurative abstraction.

Katy pressed porcelain into the seeds and fruit to create small-scale impressions, often fragile and transparent – like the seeds of hope themselves.  On her return to the UK, she started thinking of the converse of this situation, by pressing and laying the seeds and fruit on to the canvas to make a reverse impression.

The narratives of the two peoples are entirely different and by approaching the project from the other side, in a literal sense, she replicates what is happening in this conflict in visual form.  Perhaps, at the interface between these two sides is where peace and resolution can be found.

Katy has recently started an Art Instagram  @katy_sayers_green where she is documenting her art practice in the run up to this exhibition.

There will be four accompanying events to this exhibition which are open to the public (see below).

Image: ‘Seeds I’, 150 x 120cm, mixed media on canvas.

Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.

The exhibition is supported by StandWithUs UK – https://standwithus.co.uk – an Israel education charity.  The art collection is inspired by a love for Israel and a wish to creatively visualise what a just society for all its inhabitants might look like in the future.

 Events

• Friday 31 May, 6-8pm – Private View of Exhibition.
• Sunday 2 June, 11.30am.  Artist tour of exhibition.  (Please gather at 11.20am.) The tour will last approximately one hour and light refreshments will be available.  Katy will talk about her time in Israel and how it relates to her work.
• Thursday 6 June, 8pm (doors open 7.30pm).  £10 on the door. Highgate Film Society: “Frantz”, 2017.  The film explores healing and forgiveness across borders.  Writer-director François Ozon thoughtfully probes the aftermath of World War I through memories and relationships of loved ones left behind.
• Tuesday 11 June, 8pm (doors open at 7.30pm).  £5 on the door.  Lecture: Sana Knaneh, Development Director for UK Friends of the Bereaved Families Forum, is a Palestinian who grew up in the Galilee region of Israel.  She will discuss the reconciliation and peace building work of this organisation in the region.  Light refreshments will be available.

Peace and Resolution.  Solo exhibition by Katy Sayers Green.  31 May – 13 June 2019

Highgate Gallery is delighted to host Katy Sayers Green’s ‘Peace and Resolution’, an exhibition of large mixed media paintings, alongside small scale relief sculpture.  This work focuses on intractable conflict; from the personal to the political, using the conflict in the Middle East as the central focus and inspiration.

The emphasis is to explore through visual means routes to peace and resolution and hope for the future.  Whilst focusing on this particular conflict, Katy also hopes that the resonances in the artwork are universal.

This body of work has been produced as a result of a two month sojourn in Israel in 2018: a summer programme at Hebrew University looking at the complexities of the region and possible paths to peace, followed by a ceramic art residency at the inspirational Benyamini Contemporary Ceramics Centre in Tel Aviv.  Katy is a painter with a strong interest in layers and 3-dimensional form; working with ceramics for the first time opened up wonderful new possibilities.

The visual language came about during the Tel Aviv Art Residency.  Seeds and fruit and other natural produce of the region started appearing in her ceramic work.  Seeds offer a promise of hope, of renewal, of something shared between the two peoples.  This organic source material is very connected to the land and therefore to the identities of all those involved.  Katy expresses visually the connection of both peoples to the land in a visceral way.  This work could be described as a form of figurative abstraction.

Katy pressed porcelain into the seeds and fruit to create small-scale impressions, often fragile and transparent – like the seeds of hope themselves.  On her return to the UK, she started thinking of the converse of this situation, by pressing and laying the seeds and fruit on to the canvas to make a reverse impression.

The narratives of the two peoples are entirely different and by approaching the project from the other side, in a literal sense, she replicates what is happening in this conflict in visual form.  Perhaps, at the interface between these two sides is where peace and resolution can be found.

Katy has recently started an Art Instagram  @katy_sayers_green where she is documenting her art practice in the run up to this exhibition.

There will be four accompanying events to this exhibition which are open to the public (see below).

Image: ‘Seeds I’, 150 x 120cm, mixed media on canvas.

Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.

The exhibition is supported by StandWithUs UK – https://standwithus.co.uk – an Israel education charity.  The art collection is inspired by a love for Israel and a wish to creatively visualise what a just society for all its inhabitants might look like in the future.

 Events

• Friday 31 May, 6-8pm – Private View of Exhibition.
• Sunday 2 June, 11.30am.  Artist tour of exhibition.  (Please gather at 11.20am.) The tour will last approximately one hour and light refreshments will be available.  Katy will talk about her time in Israel and how it relates to her work.
• Thursday 6 June, 8pm (doors open 7.30pm).  £10 on the door. Highgate Film Society: “Frantz”, 2017.  The film explores healing and forgiveness across borders.  Writer-director François Ozon thoughtfully probes the aftermath of World War I through memories and relationships of loved ones left behind.
• Tuesday 11 June, 8pm (doors open at 7.30pm).  £5 on the door.  Lecture: Sana Knaneh, Development Director for UK Friends of the Bereaved Families Forum, is a Palestinian who grew up in the Galilee region of Israel.  She will discuss the reconciliation and peace building work of this organisation in the region.  Light refreshments will be available.

Artist tour of exhibition.  (Please gather at 11.20am.)

The tour will last approximately one hour and light refreshments will be available.  Katy will talk about her time in Israel and how it relates to her work.

We are now taking bookings for the Summer 2019 term of Portraiture & Figure Drawing!

Working from a live model, this class is aimed at artists of all levels, including beginners and advanced students, who wish to expand their skills in portraiture and figure drawing. Taught by our experienced art tutor, Zoe Hirson, this course looks at anatomy and spends some time focusing on drawing a single pose.

Materials will be provided.

The cost for the entire term is £205 (concessions £185).

Peace and Resolution Solo exhibition by Katy Sayers Green

31 May – 13 June 2019

Highgate Gallery is delighted to host Katy Sayers Green’s ‘Peace and Resolution’, an exhibition of large mixed media paintings, alongside small scale relief sculpture.  This work focuses on intractable conflict; from the personal to the political, using the conflict in the Middle East as the central focus and inspiration.

The emphasis is to explore through visual means routes to peace and resolution and hope for the future.  Whilst focusing on this particular conflict, Katy also hopes that the resonances in the artwork are universal.

This body of work has been produced as a result of a two month sojourn in Israel in 2018: a summer programme at Hebrew University looking at the complexities of the region and possible paths to peace, followed by a ceramic art residency at the inspirational Benyamini Contemporary Ceramics Centre in Tel Aviv.  Katy is a painter with a strong interest in layers and 3-dimensional form; working with ceramics for the first time opened up wonderful new possibilities.

The visual language came about during the Tel Aviv Art Residency.  Seeds and fruit and other natural produce of the region started appearing in her ceramic work.  Seeds offer a promise of hope, of renewal, of something shared between the two peoples.  This organic source material is very connected to the land and therefore to the identities of all those involved.  Katy expresses visually the connection of both peoples to the land in a visceral way.  This work could be described as a form of figurative abstraction.

Katy pressed porcelain into the seeds and fruit to create small-scale impressions, often fragile and transparent – like the seeds of hope themselves.  On her return to the UK, she started thinking of the converse of this situation, by pressing and laying the seeds and fruit on to the canvas to make a reverse impression.

The narratives of the two peoples are entirely different and by approaching the project from the other side, in a literal sense, she replicates what is happening in this conflict in visual form.  Perhaps, at the interface between these two sides is where peace and resolution can be found.

Katy has recently started an Art Instagram  @katy_sayers_green where she is documenting her art practice in the run up to this exhibition.

There will be four accompanying events to this exhibition which are open to the public (see below).

The exhibition is supported by StandWithUs UK – https://standwithus.co.uk – an Israel education charity.  The art collection is inspired by a love for Israel and a wish to creatively visualise what a just society for all its inhabitants might look like in the future.

 Events

• Friday 31 May, 6-8pm – Private View of Exhibition.
• Sunday 2 June, 11.30am.  Artist tour of exhibition.  (Please gather at 11.20am.) The tour will last approximately one hour and light refreshments will be available.  Katy will talk about her time in Israel and how it relates to her work.
• Thursday 6 June, 8pm (doors open 7.30pm).  £10 on the door. Highgate Film Society: “Frantz”, 2017.  The film explores healing and forgiveness across borders.  Writer-director François Ozon thoughtfully probes the aftermath of World War I through memories and relationships of loved ones left behind.
• Tuesday 11 June, 8pm (doors open at 7.30pm).  £5 on the door.  Lecture: Sana Knaneh, Development Director for UK Friends of the Bereaved Families Forum, is a Palestinian who grew up in the Galilee region of Israel.  She will discuss the reconciliation and peace building work of this organisation in the region.  Light refreshments will be available.

Join our us on the first Tuesday of the month for a free lunchtime concert.

A wonderful way to break up the working day, our lunchtime concerts offer 45 minutes of gorgeous classical music performed live in the elegant and historic setting of our Long Gallery.

Each lunchtime concert runs from 1.15pm to 2pm, and is free and open to all. There is no ticket required – simply turn up and take a seat. Doors will open at 1pm.

We are now taking bookings for the Summer 2019 term of Still Life – Introductory Art.

This weekly class offers both beginners and developing students the chance to explore their creative potential in drawing, focusing mainly on Still Life. During the term the class will explore essential drawing techniques – observation, perspective, negative spaces, mark-making and composition.

Taught by art tutor, Zoe Hirson, this is a general art course suitable for anyone looking to expand and practice their skill set. An informal, friendly and loosely structured class, Introductory Art allows participants to explore the areas and techniques that they find most useful.

The cost for the entire term is £205 (concessions £185).

Peace and Resolution Solo exhibition by Katy Sayers Green

31 May – 13 June 2019

Highgate Gallery is delighted to host Katy Sayers Green’s ‘Peace and Resolution’, an exhibition of large mixed media paintings, alongside small scale relief sculpture.  This work focuses on intractable conflict; from the personal to the political, using the conflict in the Middle East as the central focus and inspiration.

The emphasis is to explore through visual means routes to peace and resolution and hope for the future.  Whilst focusing on this particular conflict, Katy also hopes that the resonances in the artwork are universal.

This body of work has been produced as a result of a two month sojourn in Israel in 2018: a summer programme at Hebrew University looking at the complexities of the region and possible paths to peace, followed by a ceramic art residency at the inspirational Benyamini Contemporary Ceramics Centre in Tel Aviv.  Katy is a painter with a strong interest in layers and 3-dimensional form; working with ceramics for the first time opened up wonderful new possibilities.

The visual language came about during the Tel Aviv Art Residency.  Seeds and fruit and other natural produce of the region started appearing in her ceramic work.  Seeds offer a promise of hope, of renewal, of something shared between the two peoples.  This organic source material is very connected to the land and therefore to the identities of all those involved.  Katy expresses visually the connection of both peoples to the land in a visceral way.  This work could be described as a form of figurative abstraction.

Katy pressed porcelain into the seeds and fruit to create small-scale impressions, often fragile and transparent – like the seeds of hope themselves.  On her return to the UK, she started thinking of the converse of this situation, by pressing and laying the seeds and fruit on to the canvas to make a reverse impression.

The narratives of the two peoples are entirely different and by approaching the project from the other side, in a literal sense, she replicates what is happening in this conflict in visual form.  Perhaps, at the interface between these two sides is where peace and resolution can be found.

Katy has recently started an Art Instagram  @katy_sayers_green where she is documenting her art practice in the run up to this exhibition.

There will be four accompanying events to this exhibition which are open to the public (see below).

The exhibition is supported by StandWithUs UK – https://standwithus.co.uk – an Israel education charity.  The art collection is inspired by a love for Israel and a wish to creatively visualise what a just society for all its inhabitants might look like in the future.

 Events

• Friday 31 May, 6-8pm – Private View of Exhibition.
• Sunday 2 June, 11.30am.  Artist tour of exhibition.  (Please gather at 11.20am.) The tour will last approximately one hour and light refreshments will be available.  Katy will talk about her time in Israel and how it relates to her work.
• Thursday 6 June, 8pm (doors open 7.30pm).  £10 on the door. Highgate Film Society: “Frantz”, 2017.  The film explores healing and forgiveness across borders.  Writer-director François Ozon thoughtfully probes the aftermath of World War I through memories and relationships of loved ones left behind.
• Tuesday 11 June, 8pm (doors open at 7.30pm).  £5 on the door.  Lecture: Sana Knaneh, Development Director for UK Friends of the Bereaved Families Forum, is a Palestinian who grew up in the Galilee region of Israel.  She will discuss the reconciliation and peace building work of this organisation in the region.  Light refreshments will be available.

We are now taking bookings for the Summer Term of our Painting with Watercolours and Acrylics art course.

This class is the perfect opportunity to learn the basics of two wonderful paint mediums; how to mix, blend and layer watercolour and how to apply acrylic. Explore how to make dynamic compositions that produce interesting paintings using still Life, photographs and sketches as inspiration.

On warm days in the Spring and Summer, this class is sometimes taught outside, taking advantage of the stunning scenery of Waterlow Park.

Our art tutor, Sharon Finmark, lives in North London and studied at Central St. Martins School of Art.  She has had several books published on painting and drawing.

The cost for the entire term is £225 (concessions £205).

Peace and Resolution Solo exhibition by Katy Sayers Green

31 May – 13 June 2019

Highgate Gallery is delighted to host Katy Sayers Green’s ‘Peace and Resolution’, an exhibition of large mixed media paintings, alongside small scale relief sculpture.  This work focuses on intractable conflict; from the personal to the political, using the conflict in the Middle East as the central focus and inspiration.

The emphasis is to explore through visual means routes to peace and resolution and hope for the future.  Whilst focusing on this particular conflict, Katy also hopes that the resonances in the artwork are universal.

This body of work has been produced as a result of a two month sojourn in Israel in 2018: a summer programme at Hebrew University looking at the complexities of the region and possible paths to peace, followed by a ceramic art residency at the inspirational Benyamini Contemporary Ceramics Centre in Tel Aviv.  Katy is a painter with a strong interest in layers and 3-dimensional form; working with ceramics for the first time opened up wonderful new possibilities.

The visual language came about during the Tel Aviv Art Residency.  Seeds and fruit and other natural produce of the region started appearing in her ceramic work.  Seeds offer a promise of hope, of renewal, of something shared between the two peoples.  This organic source material is very connected to the land and therefore to the identities of all those involved.  Katy expresses visually the connection of both peoples to the land in a visceral way.  This work could be described as a form of figurative abstraction.

Katy pressed porcelain into the seeds and fruit to create small-scale impressions, often fragile and transparent – like the seeds of hope themselves.  On her return to the UK, she started thinking of the converse of this situation, by pressing and laying the seeds and fruit on to the canvas to make a reverse impression.

The narratives of the two peoples are entirely different and by approaching the project from the other side, in a literal sense, she replicates what is happening in this conflict in visual form.  Perhaps, at the interface between these two sides is where peace and resolution can be found.

Katy has recently started an Art Instagram  @katy_sayers_green where she is documenting her art practice in the run up to this exhibition.

There will be four accompanying events to this exhibition which are open to the public (see below).

The exhibition is supported by StandWithUs UK – https://standwithus.co.uk – an Israel education charity.  The art collection is inspired by a love for Israel and a wish to creatively visualise what a just society for all its inhabitants might look like in the future.

 Events

• Friday 31 May, 6-8pm – Private View of Exhibition.
• Sunday 2 June, 11.30am.  Artist tour of exhibition.  (Please gather at 11.20am.) The tour will last approximately one hour and light refreshments will be available.  Katy will talk about her time in Israel and how it relates to her work.
• Thursday 6 June, 8pm (doors open 7.30pm).  £10 on the door. Highgate Film Society: “Frantz”, 2017.  The film explores healing and forgiveness across borders.  Writer-director François Ozon thoughtfully probes the aftermath of World War I through memories and relationships of loved ones left behind.
• Tuesday 11 June, 8pm (doors open at 7.30pm).  £5 on the door.  Lecture: Sana Knaneh, Development Director for UK Friends of the Bereaved Families Forum, is a Palestinian who grew up in the Galilee region of Israel.  She will discuss the reconciliation and peace building work of this organisation in the region.  Light refreshments will be available.

Highgate Film Society: “Frantz”, 2017.  The film explores healing and forgiveness across borders.

Writer-director François Ozon thoughtfully probes the aftermath of World War I through memories and relationships of loved ones left behind.

Doors open 7.30pm.

£10 on the door.

Part of the season of events linked to the exhibition Katy Sayers Green: Peace and Resolution. May 31 – Jun 13.

Sarah Moule and the Simon Wallace Quartet present The Genius of Duke Ellington featuring Simon Wallace (piano), Dave Bitelli (saxophones), Mick Hutton (double bass) and Paul Robinson (drums)    

  
Although Ellington was a prolific writer of class popular songs it is odd that no one has seen fit to devise a programme around them. Until now!

Sarah Moule and Simon Wallace have been Ellington fans since a very young age. And so are world music exponent Dave Bitelli (glad to see him back in a jazz context!) and the other members of this wonderful band. Material by Duke will be featured alongside music by his right hand man, Billy Strayhorn. And Ellington buffs will be excited to hear that the programme also features newly-rediscovered material by another intriguing Ellington collaborator, Marshall Barer, who is rarely mentioned in all the copious appreciations of the master’s work.

“Cool, elegant, immaculate” – The Observer 

“Sarah Moule stands in the very top flight of UK vocalists” – London Jazz

Jazz in the House continues with Sarah Moule alongside Simon Wallace, Dave Bitelli, Mick Hutton and Paul Robinson performing the Genius of Duke Ellington. Doors open at 8pm and the concert begins at 8.30pm. The bar will be open from late afternoon for drinks and snacks.

Peace and Resolution Solo exhibition by Katy Sayers Green

31 May – 13 June 2019

Highgate Gallery is delighted to host Katy Sayers Green’s ‘Peace and Resolution’, an exhibition of large mixed media paintings, alongside small scale relief sculpture.  This work focuses on intractable conflict; from the personal to the political, using the conflict in the Middle East as the central focus and inspiration.

The emphasis is to explore through visual means routes to peace and resolution and hope for the future.  Whilst focusing on this particular conflict, Katy also hopes that the resonances in the artwork are universal.

This body of work has been produced as a result of a two month sojourn in Israel in 2018: a summer programme at Hebrew University looking at the complexities of the region and possible paths to peace, followed by a ceramic art residency at the inspirational Benyamini Contemporary Ceramics Centre in Tel Aviv.  Katy is a painter with a strong interest in layers and 3-dimensional form; working with ceramics for the first time opened up wonderful new possibilities.

The visual language came about during the Tel Aviv Art Residency.  Seeds and fruit and other natural produce of the region started appearing in her ceramic work.  Seeds offer a promise of hope, of renewal, of something shared between the two peoples.  This organic source material is very connected to the land and therefore to the identities of all those involved.  Katy expresses visually the connection of both peoples to the land in a visceral way.  This work could be described as a form of figurative abstraction.

Katy pressed porcelain into the seeds and fruit to create small-scale impressions, often fragile and transparent – like the seeds of hope themselves.  On her return to the UK, she started thinking of the converse of this situation, by pressing and laying the seeds and fruit on to the canvas to make a reverse impression.

The narratives of the two peoples are entirely different and by approaching the project from the other side, in a literal sense, she replicates what is happening in this conflict in visual form.  Perhaps, at the interface between these two sides is where peace and resolution can be found.

Katy has recently started an Art Instagram  @katy_sayers_green where she is documenting her art practice in the run up to this exhibition.

There will be four accompanying events to this exhibition which are open to the public (see below).

The exhibition is supported by StandWithUs UK – https://standwithus.co.uk – an Israel education charity.  The art collection is inspired by a love for Israel and a wish to creatively visualise what a just society for all its inhabitants might look like in the future.

 Events

• Friday 31 May, 6-8pm – Private View of Exhibition.
• Sunday 2 June, 11.30am.  Artist tour of exhibition.  (Please gather at 11.20am.) The tour will last approximately one hour and light refreshments will be available.  Katy will talk about her time in Israel and how it relates to her work.
• Thursday 6 June, 8pm (doors open 7.30pm).  £10 on the door. Highgate Film Society: “Frantz”, 2017.  The film explores healing and forgiveness across borders.  Writer-director François Ozon thoughtfully probes the aftermath of World War I through memories and relationships of loved ones left behind.
• Tuesday 11 June, 8pm (doors open at 7.30pm).  £5 on the door.  Lecture: Sana Knaneh, Development Director for UK Friends of the Bereaved Families Forum, is a Palestinian who grew up in the Galilee region of Israel.  She will discuss the reconciliation and peace building work of this organisation in the region.  Light refreshments will be available.

The fantastically popular Sally’s Adventure Club returns to Lauderdale House this summer with their newest adventure: Dragon School!

The adventure begins in Lauderdale House with ‘Dragon Registration’ where all little adventurers are enrolled into Dragon School. Next comes a series of essential dragon lessons, including rigorous roaring and flying lessons in the glorious gardens of Waterlow park. Adventurers will earn stars as they complete their dragon lessons, concluding with a ‘Graduation Ceremony’ and a rendition of the lovely story ‘Zog’ by Julia Donaldon.

Using interactive storytelling, this adventure will ignite imaginations and create a fantastical wold of wonder and adventure. Dragon School is perfect for young children and fun for the whole family.

Peace and Resolution.  Solo exhibition by Katy Sayers Green.  31 May – 13 June 2019

Highgate Gallery is delighted to host Katy Sayers Green’s ‘Peace and Resolution’, an exhibition of large mixed media paintings, alongside small scale relief sculpture.  This work focuses on intractable conflict; from the personal to the political, using the conflict in the Middle East as the central focus and inspiration.

The emphasis is to explore through visual means routes to peace and resolution and hope for the future.  Whilst focusing on this particular conflict, Katy also hopes that the resonances in the artwork are universal.

This body of work has been produced as a result of a two month sojourn in Israel in 2018: a summer programme at Hebrew University looking at the complexities of the region and possible paths to peace, followed by a ceramic art residency at the inspirational Benyamini Contemporary Ceramics Centre in Tel Aviv.  Katy is a painter with a strong interest in layers and 3-dimensional form; working with ceramics for the first time opened up wonderful new possibilities.

The visual language came about during the Tel Aviv Art Residency.  Seeds and fruit and other natural produce of the region started appearing in her ceramic work.  Seeds offer a promise of hope, of renewal, of something shared between the two peoples.  This organic source material is very connected to the land and therefore to the identities of all those involved.  Katy expresses visually the connection of both peoples to the land in a visceral way.  This work could be described as a form of figurative abstraction.

Katy pressed porcelain into the seeds and fruit to create small-scale impressions, often fragile and transparent – like the seeds of hope themselves.  On her return to the UK, she started thinking of the converse of this situation, by pressing and laying the seeds and fruit on to the canvas to make a reverse impression.

The narratives of the two peoples are entirely different and by approaching the project from the other side, in a literal sense, she replicates what is happening in this conflict in visual form.  Perhaps, at the interface between these two sides is where peace and resolution can be found.

Katy has recently started an Art Instagram  @katy_sayers_green where she is documenting her art practice in the run up to this exhibition.

There will be four accompanying events to this exhibition which are open to the public (see below).

Image: ‘Seeds I’, 150 x 120cm, mixed media on canvas.

Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.

The exhibition is supported by StandWithUs UK – https://standwithus.co.uk – an Israel education charity.  The art collection is inspired by a love for Israel and a wish to creatively visualise what a just society for all its inhabitants might look like in the future.

 Events

• Friday 31 May, 6-8pm – Private View of Exhibition.
• Sunday 2 June, 11.30am.  Artist tour of exhibition.  (Please gather at 11.20am.) The tour will last approximately one hour and light refreshments will be available.  Katy will talk about her time in Israel and how it relates to her work.
• Thursday 6 June, 8pm (doors open 7.30pm).  £10 on the door. Highgate Film Society: “Frantz”, 2017.  The film explores healing and forgiveness across borders.  Writer-director François Ozon thoughtfully probes the aftermath of World War I through memories and relationships of loved ones left behind.
• Tuesday 11 June, 8pm (doors open at 7.30pm).  £5 on the door.  Lecture: Sana Knaneh, Development Director for UK Friends of the Bereaved Families Forum, is a Palestinian who grew up in the Galilee region of Israel.  She will discuss the reconciliation and peace building work of this organisation in the region.  Light refreshments will be available.

Peace and Resolution.  Solo exhibition by Katy Sayers Green.  31 May – 13 June 2019

Highgate Gallery is delighted to host Katy Sayers Green’s ‘Peace and Resolution’, an exhibition of large mixed media paintings, alongside small scale relief sculpture.  This work focuses on intractable conflict; from the personal to the political, using the conflict in the Middle East as the central focus and inspiration.

The emphasis is to explore through visual means routes to peace and resolution and hope for the future.  Whilst focusing on this particular conflict, Katy also hopes that the resonances in the artwork are universal.

This body of work has been produced as a result of a two month sojourn in Israel in 2018: a summer programme at Hebrew University looking at the complexities of the region and possible paths to peace, followed by a ceramic art residency at the inspirational Benyamini Contemporary Ceramics Centre in Tel Aviv.  Katy is a painter with a strong interest in layers and 3-dimensional form; working with ceramics for the first time opened up wonderful new possibilities.

The visual language came about during the Tel Aviv Art Residency.  Seeds and fruit and other natural produce of the region started appearing in her ceramic work.  Seeds offer a promise of hope, of renewal, of something shared between the two peoples.  This organic source material is very connected to the land and therefore to the identities of all those involved.  Katy expresses visually the connection of both peoples to the land in a visceral way.  This work could be described as a form of figurative abstraction.

Katy pressed porcelain into the seeds and fruit to create small-scale impressions, often fragile and transparent – like the seeds of hope themselves.  On her return to the UK, she started thinking of the converse of this situation, by pressing and laying the seeds and fruit on to the canvas to make a reverse impression.

The narratives of the two peoples are entirely different and by approaching the project from the other side, in a literal sense, she replicates what is happening in this conflict in visual form.  Perhaps, at the interface between these two sides is where peace and resolution can be found.

Katy has recently started an Art Instagram  @katy_sayers_green where she is documenting her art practice in the run up to this exhibition.

There will be four accompanying events to this exhibition which are open to the public (see below).

Image: ‘Seeds I’, 150 x 120cm, mixed media on canvas.

Gallery open Tuesday-Friday 1-5pm, Saturday 11am-4pm, Sunday 11am-5pm; closed Mondays.

The exhibition is supported by StandWithUs UK – https://standwithus.co.uk – an Israel education charity.  The art collection is inspired by a love for Israel and a wish to creatively visualise what a just society for all its inhabitants might look like in the future.

 Events

• Friday 31 May, 6-8pm – Private View of Exhibition.
• Sunday 2 June, 11.30am.  Artist tour of exhibition.  (Please gather at 11.20am.) The tour will last approximately one hour and light refreshments will be available.  Katy will talk about her time in Israel and how it relates to her work.
• Thursday 6 June, 8pm (doors open 7.30pm).  £10 on the door. Highgate Film Society: “Frantz”, 2017.  The film explores healing and forgiveness across borders.  Writer-director François Ozon thoughtfully probes the aftermath of World War I through memories and relationships of loved ones left behind.
• Tuesday 11 June, 8pm (doors open at 7.30pm).  £5 on the door.  Lecture: Sana Knaneh, Development Director for UK Friends of the Bereaved Families Forum, is a Palestinian who grew up in the Galilee region of Israel.  She will discuss the reconciliation and peace building work of this organisation in the region.  Light refreshments will be available.

We are now taking bookings for the Summer 2019 term of Portraiture & Figure Drawing!

Working from a live model, this class is aimed at artists of all levels, including beginners and advanced students, who wish to expand their skills in portraiture and figure drawing. Taught by our experienced art tutor, Zoe Hirson, this course looks at anatomy and spends some time focusing on drawing a single pose.

Materials will be provided.

The cost for the entire term is £205 (concessions £185).