• I tend to move through London the way I build tracks, intuitively, following feeling rather than structure. This route follows a path through galleries I return to, alongside spaces where I’ve spent time with works by female artists that have stayed with me.

    Read more

    I tend to move through London the way I build tracks, intuitively, following feeling rather than structure. This route follows a path through galleries I return to, alongside spaces where I’ve spent time with works by female artists that have stayed with me.

     

    I’d begin in Bethnal Green at Herald St. It’s a space I associate with stillness and attention, where I’ve encountered work that reveals itself over time. During London Gallery Weekend, they will be exhibiting works by Naotaka Hiro, whose works formalise a constant back-and-forth between instinctive gestures and careful mark-making, and which he describes as oscillating “between subjective immersion and objective analysis.”

     

    From there, a short walk to Maureen Paley feels natural. Delaine Le Bas will be showing, an artist whose mixed-media environment of found and invented images engage with feminist histories and move beyond racial, political and sexual borders. 

    I’d then walk west towards Shoreditch, stopping at Leila’s Cafe for coffee and something simple and delicious to eat. I used to live in Arnold Circus when I first moved to London. It’s always been a vibrant area that harboured artists and musicians, even if it’s changed a lot! There are pockets of creative energy still that are undeniable vibrant echoes of its past. For instance, Kate Macgarry is exhibiting works by Mark Corfield-Moore, whose textile practice reflects on the complexities of his Thai and British heritage. Meanwhile, just round the corner, you’ll find SLQS, a gallery that platforms women and queer artists across generations. On view for London Gallery Weekend is Beverley Duckworth and a series of living “Seed Drawings”, which are created through the act of sowing seeds in intricate patterns on hanging cloth panels.

     

    Leaving Arnold Circus, head back towards Bethnal Green, via Soft Opening. This is a gallery that feels deeply connected to what’s happening now, and where I’ve seen work by emerging artists. Take the short walk towards The Approach—maybe as the light fades—a space where I’ve discovered artists at different stages, including women whose work feels both personal and open.

     

    Somewhere along the way home, I’d stop for a drink, maybe at ‘Diddy’s Bar’ on Mare St, just somewhere with good energy and the right soundtrack. For me, it’s always about how a place feels as much as what it contains! 

  • Route