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COVID 19 has affected many industries and the government has put in place good strategies to help those in need. The only ones that have been left behind are artists who have no track on getting public funds and they are left behind. The same artists who have put other people before them, invested their own time, talent and money to make a difference every day in their communities without asking anything in return. Artists who maybe never sold an art piece but they have constantly been investing in their art with the hope to inspire one day a generation of people to think beyond their imagination, a great factor in our opinion that instigates the advancement of technology, science and architecture today. We have decided to recognise those artists and we have put together a programme that highlights the work these artists do. Through amazing interviews, you will have the chance to get to know them and why not support their journey by purchasing one or all of their magical art. This week we`re featuring a very talented artist, Sequin Kay, who we had the pleasure to work with and sell her art through our projects. Sequin is a member of the Gold Mind Society and a big supporter of the gallery. As we reward loyalty and devotion, we wanted to promote her amazing work. What is your name and where are you based? My name is Sequin Kay and I have a mixed media creative practice. I am based in Peacehaven UK. What is your practice? My work for the past 15 years has used revealing aspects of history, which have a profound impact on our contemporary culture today. In the current climate where many believe history has no relevance, I find myself continually returning to those aspects that are often hidden or misrepresented in the “official” recordings for posterity. In my varied and diverse approaches to making art; installations; public, curatorial and web projects, the context of the work has an impact on the work’s relationship to the viewer. What is your USP? Sequin Kay was born and raised in the multicultural edges of South London and has been creating and crafting since she was 11 years old. Her fist commission was at the age of 14, her school commissioning a large-scale mosaic for the outside of the library entrance still on display today. Mistaken identity and cultural displacement are particular elements present in her work with traces of her Irish and Moroccan heritage are repeatedly woven into her textile art-works through the use of abstraction, pattern, embroidery and embellishment. Originally trained as an abstract oil painter and sculptor at Camberwell College of Arts, she found the arts education system rigid and often stifling for developing her subjective style of creativity. Renting out a studio in Brixton and exploring the creative process in solitude she self-taught herself many of the techniques visible today her present work Tells us a secret that nobody knows about your life! Sequins are an intergalactic source of life intelligence. Has Covid 19 challenged your creativity? Covid 19 has upped and amplified my creativity and given it another dimension, fired me on even further into new realms. I have had more time to think and muse over new projects and ideas it has given me more thinking time. What are your most significant achievements? My Current work The Zodiac Collection is a unique and pivotal collection, which engages with each Zodiac sign along with personal interpretations. Personal research into each star sign and their potential cultural and esoteric meaning. The Collection’s aims is to bridge a powerful link between cosmology and the arts. Do you have any fascinating or unusual clients or a funny story to tell? One of my clients is of 80’s years old and loves my mirror work and he is so interesting and really loves sequins ! amazing ! If you were starting a career as an artist today, what would you do differently? Be organised, take more risks, ask more questions. Getting a really good studio is important somewhere you can fully express yourself in many ways. What has been your most significant challenge in times of Covid 19, and how did you overcome it? The biggest challenge was the lack of social interaction and feedback an artist receives from showcasing works and going to exhibitions and private viewings, London is such an inspiring city. I overcame it by organising Zoom connections and visiting artists’ studios in a socially distanced way. What are your plans for the future? What new projects do you have in the pipeline? I am currently completing a Zodiac project by the end of August, a yearlong project and looking to expand my creative abilities in the digital realm and embarking on new learnings in After Effects and Projection Mapping. What would you like to be known for? I would love to be known for creating great artworks and changing people’s perspectives on the nature of reality and creativity. How do you know Laura? Through exhibiting at the Gallery. How did you hear about Laura I. Gallery? I heard about Laura I Gallery through the internet I responded to an Art call on spiritualty, submitted my work and had a successful showcase with the gallery. What do you think of our Mentoring programs or of the newest initiative for artists, The Society of Gold Minds? I think they are fantastic, enabling artists to reach out a lot more and expand their network. Mentors are extremely important for any profession and can give so much in life into new ideas and projects. Do you think it is important to have someone that has your back? Yes I think knowing you have a safe space to rely on can enable creatives to take more risks and some to confide in when the times get tough. Do you think it is important to receive constant support? Why? I think regular support is important because it enables the artist to grow and flourish like a seed needs the soil, artist is the seed and the support is the soil they need each other. Do you think it is important to be surrounded by a community of artists? I think it is very important for creatives to be around each other for support and to bounce ideas and offer critical creative dialogue, this enables wider perspectives to be attained and therefore more integrated practice. Would you recommend our mentoring programs? I haven’t taken part in the mentoring programme yet, I will do and am sure it is very inspirational and beneficial for artists and creatives. Has Laura I. Gallery inspired you or helped you in any way? How? Laura herself is an proactive Gallery owner and artist and a motivating female force. She has represented and sold works for me at auctions, showcased my works In her gallery and is now offering during this challenging time of Covid-19 to help sell and promote some of my available pieces. I adore her Mothers greetings cards that she makes truly a special gift statement. Would you recommend Laura I. Art Gallery? Yes I would very much so, for support and a friendly professional outlook in the creative world. A wonderful, inclusive gallery to work with in East London. See Sequin Kay`s artwork here: 
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 Coronavirus Guidance and Information for Artists and Creatives We understand artists and freelancers are getting hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, and we're committed to giving you the support and resources to help navigate this challenging time. Being said we have put together a list of opportunities that you can benefit from to help you, challenge you and enhance your talents. These lists are continually updated, but please get in touch if you know of something you think we should include. Grants
Laura Iosifescu’s Inside-out: A foreword by Gary Martin Miller : I have recently been very fortunate to witness the completely natural and boundary-less latest work created by visionary artist Laura Iosifescu, that is aptly and appropriately titled “Inside-Out”. This work is a commissioned piece, and it is clear Laura has taken full advantage of a “no limits” approach and this has enabled her to ramp-up her creative output even further, through technique and expression, to achieve a new depth unseen in her previous works. The piece “Inside-Out” is not a painting, but an “entity” or a “happening”, that seems to represent the intricate fabrication of one’s imagination or the stuff that is made from the subconscious state of dream. To commission more fantastic artworks by our very own award winning artist please click here:  We are proud to announce that we have raised over £6000 in our exhibition - I AM A WOMAN AND THIS IS MY LEGACY - Through the Barking and Dagenham Mayors auction (which we have directly organised) and sponsorship from Western Homes, Funds have helped aid three amazing charities but has also supported women artists to pursue their careers further. Five artists were selected in the auction and with two pieces sold on the night. List of selected artists: Ashima Kumar Kaat Stieber Patricia Bidi Redi Sequin Kay We are giving one more chance to women artists to win and fund their art practices. Artists are invited to apply for our Women Art Prize by the 21st September 2018. Please don`t forget to join us at the Private View on the 4th October 2018. We look forward to seeing you there!  The past few days have been amazing for us.The workshops we ran have captured a lot of attention from everyone including being featured in the Evening Standard,London Live News TV and One Borough Live TV.To see the local exhibition or to sign up for our next series of workshops please don`t hesitate to send us an email to laura@lauraigallery.com We are happy to announce that we have been successfully funded by Creative Barking and Dagenham Programme to run a series of workshops for local people who are in need of creative boost. There will be a series of two rounds of workshops, of 4 sessions each . As it's the summer, the workshop will be held outdoors! This will provide prime opportunities to observe the world around us, and develop your landscape painting skills! Witness the way clouds change shape and tone by the second. Marvel at the many thousands of tones and shades that wash through the grass, along with the wind. Understand your local history connect and celebrate it through colours and shapes. This workshop is all about creativity, not only technique or training. There’s no critiquing, no analysis, no judgement, and no comparison with others. You’ll just create beautiful art! Within this workshop, we’ll support you to: Discover your own, personal, creative voice Trust your intuition and not the nagging voices in your head Embrace your creative energy, focussing on letting go rather than worrying about aesthetics Examine your creative blocks and use their causes to lift your creativity to new heights Experience your imagination like never before, revealing the path to deeper enlightenment Why do all this? Creating art without concern for talent, skill, or accomplishment is exhilarating – Your art could take you anywhere! We’re celebrating artistic freedom! There is no pressure to perform, produce, or succeed. Our workshop puts an emphasis on the creative process rather than the technique. Free expression is our goal! And at the end of the series of workshops one of your art pieces will be showcased in a final exhibition at Laura I. Gallery on the 9th of August Who is this workshop perfect for? These classes are aimed towards those with an interest in creating art but have never taken art classes, or for those who have taken art classes in the past and wish to revisit their passion. Absolute beginners right through to experts. You don’t even need to have picked up a paintbrush before! All we ask is that you come with an open mind and a real thirst for artistic exploration and adventure Do you need to bring anything with you? Bring yourself and if possible a portable easel or a drawing board if you have one. All other materials will be provided. Timetable: Starting time 12.00 - Finishing time about 15.30, depending on the location. Meeting point: Laura I. Art Gallery, Abbey Road, IG11 7BT First Round Workshop Dates:
All the bonuses are repeated in the second round too. Second Round Workshop Dates:
To apply you must:
Please book your place at laura@lauraigallery.com stating in which round you are interested to participate. We cannot guarantee you a place as first come first served!   Wow! What a privilege to have our gallery being selected the Community Business of The Year London 2018 !We have now secured a place at the FSB National Awards which will compete with the best businesses models in UK . You are now looking at an award-winning art gallery whose work in making a great difference in the world has been recognised. Yup, Laura I. Art Gallery won the Community Award at the prestigious FSB Awards on Monday the 19th of March 2018 and we are absolutely bursting with pride. We are happy to introduce you the very talented and original Michael Hlousek Nagle ,our First Prize winning artist from "Now Thats What I Call Art" Exhibition 2017. Michael won of a free studio space for one year provided by our amazing sponsors Icehouse Quarter in collaboration with Roof Property LLP and free mentoring schemes with Barking Centre Enterprise. Here is Michael`s exclusive interview with us : 1) What was your opinion of the exhibition? I loved the diversity of the work in the exhibition, there was something for everyone, and the differences in the works meant that it wasn't too easy to look for five minutes and think you'd seen it all - the eye and the mind constantly had to adjust and change their way of looking as you went from piece to piece. And more importantly, the quality was really high, the standard of the work was fantastic. I felt extremely happy to have my piece among such good company and was surprised to have been the winner. 2) What has the prize meant to you? This prize has meant nothing less than the difference between being a former artist and a practicing artist. I had no studio space, no ideas, and no belief in myself. I had almost resigned myself to being a former artist and living a life of quiet self-loathing. I entered quite late and couldn't believe how well it went for me, so in artistic terms it has meant everything, because without this prize I would not be making artwork. 3) How have you used the opportunity ? I am drawing and painting, night and day. I drop my daughter at school, come straight to the studio, work till teatime, go home, have dinner with my family, do homework with my daughter and get her to bed, then I come back to the studio and work until the early hours. I am determined not to waste it. 4) What do you like the most about the space? The thing I like most about the space is... all the space! 5) What have you created in the space? I'm working on some very large canvases at the moment, creating oil paintings for a solo exhibition of work to be hosted in the Boathouse Creative Studios in February 2018. The exhibition will be a kind of mythical re-creation or re-imaging of Barking, exploring some of its history and landmarks but in a curious, magical or dreamlike way, focusing especially on the role of the river, and the remains of the Abbey. 7) What are your plans in the future? Right now I can't think past the exhibition in February, I have so much to do and so little time in which to do it. But I hope it will be the start of something rather than the end of anything. 8) How this experience helped your career? So far it has stopped my career ending, kickstarted it again, and given me renewed ambitions and focus. It has helped me realise that if I am not making art then I am not myself, and therefore not complete. Is there anything else you would like to say? Yes - THANK YOU - to Laura, to Steve Drury, and to Carole Pluckrose. I'm working hard, trying my best, and I hope I won't let anyone down. Dagenham based artist Michael Hlousek-Nagle will finish his residency with a must watch show taking place at the Boathouse Creative Studios on Friday February 23rd 2018, 6pm-9pm. Click here for more information: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/in-full-sail-to-the-sinister-michael-hlousek-nagle-tickets-42418435683?aff=efbeventtix |
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