The Brick Lane Gallery is proud to present our second Works on Paper exhibition for 2014, featuring a selection of extraordinarily talented artists visiting London from across the world including representation from Austria and Spain, as well as home-grown artists from the UK. This exhibition will also feature the special one off charity exhibition Active Autism showcasing the (London Based) artist Zeina Attar and raising money and awareness for their charity. On show will be an array of techniques from traditional printmaking and drawing to modern digital interactive art. We are pleased to present the exquisite line drawings of Dai Owen capturing stunning city scenes with a unique flair, alongside the captivating fine art prints of Eferboel (from Austria) who combines decorative and graphic styles with ease. The exhibition will also showcase a mixed media architectural inspired artwork by Huw Briggs and the evocative landscapes of José María Díez (from Spain) the spiralling intricate dancing outsider art designs of Midula Dey, along with the unusual animal imagery of Neil Hanlon. We are also pleased to present the birds and building collages of Stacey Knights and the intimate and emotive portraits of Stu Lee.

The Works on Paper exhibition is a celebration of the thriving interaction between contemporary practice and this historical creative medium. Therefore, our gallery is proud to announce that the Works on Paper exhibitions will be firmly routed into our galleries future exhibition programme and we will hold regular exhibitions showcasing new and exciting artists from all over the world. We hope you enjoy.

Featured artists:

Dai Owen is North Welsh Briton with a background as a freelance illustrator. He has recently discovered a fascination for the Reportage style of drawing and completed further studies in this area. Dai has always been in love with ‘line’, and pen drawing is the basis of his practice, sometimes experimenting with colour. The Reportage style, involves drawing live and quickly, to try to capture the atmosphere of an event, place or people. In terms of subject matter an interest in the urban areas built and inhabited is predominant – he finds the downtown scruffy parts are as interesting as the picturesque ones. The contrast between the old and new, between terraces and towers of high rise flats, between levels as spires reach up above street markets, and buildings crowd together. Within this he sees ever-changing patterns, the roads, the veins of contact and movement, their edges street furniture and lamp posts which echo direction with perspective, and the actors, people and cars, add shapes of movement.

Efer Hebenstreit aka Eferboel is an Austrian artist from Vienna, a graduate graphic designer from the University of Applied Arts. She has expanded her knowledge in the area of surface design at in the city of London, yet her real passion belongs to the art of illustration. Eferboel’s preferred approach to her work over the last decade could be described as having a fling with "the simple stroke". She revels in the artistry of the thinner the drawn lines and the creation of as many different patterns and shade effects as possible in mostly black and white. It is this which defines the main part of her creative energy, although eventually some splashes of colour did get digitally added in the finishing process.

Huw Briggs is a Welsh born, London based artist who studied studied at Manchester University. The works on display are individual studies of architectural shape and form that have subsequently become the fundamental building blocks of the artist’s latest work. Huw is examining the roles we play as beings co defined and co existing with the pre fabricated man made architectural sculptures we share our environment with.

José María Díez is a Spanish artist working mainly as a landscapist with realistic style, that has a great poetry and depth of detail. His paintings and drawings go beyond a first interpretation and convey flashes of lyricism based on light. There is an influence of architecture and knowledge of space underlying in his work. ‘Vertical signs of life’ is a series of twelve graphite drawings on Schoeller paper designed with a language marked by a peculiar realism, which goes beyond the descriptive approach and gets close to the world of emotions. Two approaches parallel to the tree trunks (living or dead) become authentic indoor landscapes. The former, “The Sensitive Side”, is closer to the senses, focusing on close-up objects, almost decontextualizing them and going deep into the microcosm of textures and chromatic sensations. The latter, “The Emotional Side”, lays out the motifs in idyllic habitats, like dreamlike places, making us think about the beauty and feelings shown by some symbols of nature.

Midula Dey is a London based artist who is self-taught. Midula invites you into her world. Looking at the everyday, she journals her musings and observations of her life and world over a cup of green tea. Scribbling thoughts, and tit bits of information her daily journals provide a glimpse into her mind. The exhibition will focuses on 40 of her favourite pieces. The journals began life on a wonderful spring day in April last year, when she bought her first "little black book". Encouraged to unleash her inner creativity, Midula began to draw a doodle each day. Whether she was on a bus, on the tube, watching Poirot or sitting in a coffee shop she would draw a little doodle. Spending hours at a time creating each doodle, they became an obsession to her. Focusing on creating an exact, clean line, her early journals reflect the part of her which is disciplined, controlled, and in search of perfection.

Neil Hanlon is a British artist born in the county of Kent and currently residing in Lincolnshire. Neil Hanlon graduated from Derby university with a degree in Illustration and the collages in this exhibition provide a strong example of his work. This series seeks to juxtapose the fragility of nature with the mechanised encroachment of mankind. Tranquil animals gaze obliviously from a habitat of chaotic man made forms.

Stacey Knights is a Norwich based artist who has been deeply influenced by her surroundings. The architecture of the city is a large part of what drew her to the city of Norwich in the first place, and she felt it right to produce a body of work celebrating the wonderful buildings that can be found there. Another important influence for her is nature and she became very interested in the subject of birds during my final year of my degree studies.

Stu Lee is a locally based London artist. Inspired by an accidental discovery of pastel works on display at the RA of Jean-Antoine Watteau, self taught artist Stu, found a secondary discipline, after painting, that allows him to produce his own works that explore how close to the truth of human form one can get before it is separated from being art at all. Each drawing represents a moment experienced during the artists life, whether it be from recent travels in South Africa at the time of Nelson Mandela's death, sitting in a cemetery in Buenos Aires, or just inspiration from within of what the artist felt at any given moment, usually whilst travelling the world. These drawings in some way catalogue the artist's life, whilst giving the expressionism and detail of portraiture, that allow the haunting beauty of the human form to be recreated.

Zeina Attar is the Founder and CEO of Active Autism. Active Autism has a dream to create global awareness and total understanding of Autism. Active Autism World is being launched as a new project to help the world fully experience the difficulties that children with the condition go through. This will be the first ever interactive exhibition that leaves the ‘typical’ individual with a lot to be appreciative for but also a taste of how to deal with a child and what they may possibly be thinking or feeling. Indulging in her artistic flair Zeina will use all her experience and knowledge to give you the full experience of what a child with the condition may experience. The 'Butterfly challenge' experience will not only change the lives of children and families with Autism around the world; but most importantly widens the understanding and awareness of the characteristics and the reasons behind them bringing societies and communities together as one. To help us we ask for you to join our dream by buying a butterfly that will be put on a series of canvas with your name on it (your name is optional). The canvas will be part of the exhibition and you will have the opportunity to head down and play ‘Where’s Wally?’ trying to find your butterfly by participating in the fun Butterly Challenge on 26th & 27th April.

The Brick Lane Gallery
196 Brick Lane
London E1 6SA United Kingdom
Ph. +44 (0)20 77299721
info@thebricklanegallery.com
www.thebricklanegallery.com

Opening hours
Daily from 10pm to 6pm