Supporting The Arts - 2026 July Exhibition

2026 WINNER

WINNING ARTWORK

Photo is by Russ McClintock at Milly's studio in OSE

Milly Aburrow (b. 2001, Chichester, UK) is a sculptor and installation artist inspired by food culture, consumerism and personal experience. She creates uncanny simulations drawn from everyday life, inviting audiences into immersive environments that evoke memory, reflection and shared experience. Her installations revisit lived experience and reclaim agency, often adopting fictionalised service industry roles that blur boundaries between reality and performance.

Through these playful yet critical scenarios, Aburrow explores inaccessibility within professional spaces as a disabled artist, questioning who is permitted to occupy certain roles. She graduated from Bath Spa University in 2023, receiving the Kenneth Armitage Young Sculptor Prize, was a Graduate Resident Artist at 44AD Artspace, Bath (2023–25) and is an alumni associate from Open School East (2025-26). She was shortlisted for the Creative Estuary Commission, In The Offing, at Turner Contemporary (2023), and received the Dr Andrew Edney Bursary Award (2025).

https://www.millyaburrow.com

"The Salty Crisp Pub"
Milly Aburrow, 2025

"This captivating installation pays homage to the quintessentially British public house-rich in history, filled with memories, and a place where new stories are forged. Inspired by her personal connection to The Star and Garter, her family's local pub in East Dean, West Sussex, Aburrow explores themes of tradition, shared experiences, and the enduring importance of connection and conversation.

With a playful nod to her favourite snack, crisps, the exhibition blends nostalgia with a contemporary celebration of communal spaces. Drawing a parallel between the way pubs and art unite people, the installation reflects how a shared experience can spark conversation, foster support, and strengthen bonds-powerful elements that lie at the heart of community life.

Milly extends her heartfelt gratitude to all who have influenced her artistic journey so far. The Salty Crisp Pub is a tribute to the spirit of community that has shaped her creative path."

“Rebirth – Sculpture” Alexis Moore, Upcycled underwear mannequin. Paper Mache, clay & paint, 2023 “I am particularly drawn to the idea that the sea reclaims what we leave behind— a concept that feels haunting, beautiful, and deeply symbolic. This theme offers a vast range of interpretations, from mystery and decay to fantasy and rebirth.” https://revampartstudio.com/

“A Mother's Love” Alisha Ali, Oil on canvas, 2026 “I am an interdisciplinary artist, often exploring themes of culture, memory, and relationships, through an autobiographical approach. I have an interest in investigating my own experiences, the natural world, and the ways in which it makes me feel. In particular, I look at how life impacts us and shapes the way we perceive the world around us. In this body of work, my core concepts pertain to childhood and nostalgia; this is with an uncanny underpinning. Using tone and texture, through means of oil paint, I look to understand how memory works in relation to childhood. The current work is informed by the ideas surrounding memory and childhood, stemming from the fact I do not remember a lot of my own. The brain acts as a computer, in the way it holds information, and prioritises the important; this results in a lot of the ordinary being forgotten. The idea that I don’t remember moments or people, all because my brain may not have deemed them as a priority, feels unfair. Memory in its own right is also unreliable, able to be altered or changed based on input like photos, videos, and stories passed down. It proposes the question ‘am I mourning a childhood that even existed?’. I wanted to question the perceptions of nostalgia, and invite viewers to reflect upon their own memories. In this piece, my mum is holding me and showing me to the camera. I feel as though I have this strong connection to it, due to the look on my mum’s face. To have me, my parents had to go through IVF; this made my birth all that more special to them. I can see the warmth in my mum's face, the way she holds me up like she's showing me off. This is one of the photos where people say I look like my mum, and is from an actual album as opposed to saved on a phone. I used my style to my advantage in this painting, working in clear strokes and means of shorthand. I feel as though, by representing something in brushstrokes over a realistic depiction, it adds to that sense of nostalgia that I have been carrying throughout this project. The painterly style, done by working in layers of clear brushstrokes, adds to the concept of what memory is. Memory is fleeting, constantly in fluidity, and often depicted to change. The use of oil paint is something that is reminiscent of such ideology.” Instagram: @alishaaliartist Website: https://www.alishaali.com/

“Confronting the absurd” Ally Zlatar, Acrylic, 2026 “Zlatar uses art as a tool to delve into the complexity of the human experience, particularly focusing on illness, vulnerability, and authenticity. Her work draws from personal experiences & auto-ethnography to drive change. She recognizes the power in examining the unwell body and utilizes art as a means of activism, aiming to spark dialogue and create societal impact.” @allyzlatar

“Alone” Sue Gardiner, Collage, 2026 “This is a collage using old magazines, scissors and glue, and is size A3”

“My Friends” Amy Coyne / My Imaginary Friends, Felt, 25-2026 “These images show some of my favourite felt pieces I have created. All my work investigates horror and explores the issues within the genre. Often satirising the common themes but simultaneously paying homage to it. I think the fact they are often animals and made from felt almost softens the message of what I am trying to saying so it allows me to explore dark topics in a more open way.” @myi.maginaryfriends

“Two Crested Lizard” Andrew Sales, oil on paper, 2025 “This painting belongs to a body of work exploring time, with the positioning of organisms separated by millennia. It questions the brevity our culture has existed on earth and how our existence is but a tiny moment in relation to the age of the planet and the creatures that existed before us. The painting also investigates the idea of power and beauty in oil painting. Equine art has a certain elitism and class culture associated with it, so the inclusion of a prehistoric dinosaur is intended to move the viewer into a state of unease at where we are going and what we see as beautiful and important.” https://www.andrewsales.net/ @andrewsales

“WINGED MINOTAUR XIX (19) - A PERILOUS JOURNEY - WITH TEA!” Andrew Stevens, sculpture, 2026 “Made totally with recycled and redundant bits including a broken tea pot and cup; old brass tap; wood offcuts; old toys; cycle gears and car engine parts etc. all frames by an old barrel hoop.” @andystevenssculpture

“To The Sea” Beth Barlow, Acrylic and Posca Pens on Canvas, 2025 “Part of my "Puddles" series of paintings which looks at how climate change and flood discombobulates us.”

“Blue Larkspur” Natalie Jane, Wax pastel, 2025 “Encouraged by the Blue Larkspurs growing in my parents garden, I felt completed to illustrate one in all its glory. This particular bunch had been blown left, right and centre in the strong Northern winds, resulting in a loss of flowers. Not to fear, she still remains as strong as ever!” Website: https://www.nataliejanestudios.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nataliejanestudios/

“Blue-Footed Booby” Harriet Pilcher, ink and marker, 2026 “'Blue-Footed Booby' is a part of an ongoing series titled 'The Birds' – The series addresses the historic and ongoing dehumanisation of women, specifically considering the term 'birds' as a diminutive. The continual use of this term (which has been in use in some form since at least 1915, although it is suspected to derive from Middle English) reinforces the idea of women as cute, helpless, fragile, lesser. Each image in the series shows a different bird-headed woman from an era in history, acting as a reminder that birds are also ferocious, majestic, intelligent and require freedom to thrive. The Blue-Footed Booby is dressed in denim and wears a labrys at her throat. The female booby is larger than the male, her feet are more vibrant, and she has a loud honk as opposed to the male whistle.” @pilchards.on.toast

“Pink Psychology” Carl Arroyo, Painting, battening on board, 2026 Painting, battening on board. https://carlarroyo.weebly.com

“i. marpeh” Chase Nenner, acrylic and plastic film on stretched canvas, 2025 “part i of my series SUCCESSION OF HATCHLING INSTARS” chasenenner.art; @chasenennerart

“Sitting in an English Garden, Waiting for the Sun” Claudia Tong, Watercolour and ink, 2024 “Sitting in an English Garden Waiting for the Sun captures fleeting moments of serendipity hidden within the familiar. Composed from four snapshots of a winter garden across shifting seasons, weather, and times of day, the painting dwells on quiet details that are easily overlooked yet hold unexpected inspiration and joy. Scattered flower petals drift through the scenes, marking the passage of time and inviting you to pause, observe, and rediscover ordinary wonders in the everyday life.” https://linktr.ee/claudiaxt,

“Gentle Spirits of the Old Woods” Dannii Gribbin- Get Set Paint, Acrylic, 2026 “Badgers have lived in our ancient woodlands for thousands of years – quiet, peaceful creatures, gentle by nature and true guardians of the land. I painted this piece because I was shocked and deeply saddened to learn that badger baiting still happens today; a cruel, illegal practice that continues to threaten these animals in the very places they call home.This painting is a reminder of their innocence, their right to safety, and their place in the wild. They are not targets – they are the gentle spirits of the old woods, and they deserve nothing but respect, protection, and peace.”

“The Unfurling Wing” David Ranby, sculpture, 2026 “The Unfurling Wing describes how the Nero Portoro marble wing is gradually opening. The aim was to give a sense of movement in the stone, with few flat surfaces. The hard edges of the outside of the wing aim to contrast with the curve of the main "body". Carved in 2026, in Pietrasanta, the marble is one of the rarest from the Carrara area. The 25kg carving was carefully pulled home in a suitcase by train, from Italy to Yorkshire.” @ranbydavid

“Done Waiting” Julien Le Pocher, Oil and acrylic on Canvas Board, 2026 “An empty armchair remains in a darkened room, moments after the decision has been made. Outside, colour and light surge with uncontrollable force. The painting captures the threshold between fear and surrender, the instant when resistance gives way and creative energy is finally allowed to lead.” @the.paint.wanderer

“Not Meeting My End” Edgington, mixed media on canvas sheet, 2026 “This began, and I thought ended, in 2022. I found this canvas painting a little while ago and I started working onto it again. In 2022 things had become very bad again, aha at my will I spent a few days in hospital. I left to be under the care of the, somewhat ironically named, home treatment team (they don’t come to your home). My relationship ended as soon as I arrived home too. Much of the next few weeks or months I don’t remember. I went to see HTT every couple of days, my mom came over a lot. I slept in the living room, I slept a lot. I barely did anything. How much time passed I don’t know. After a while I tried to paint again. Tried and failed. When I picked this back up recently it was just a bit of paint thrown on, a very vague face faded. Beginning to work over this, repurposing it, my face kept fading, maybe this is how I hide myself away, let my low self esteem limit me. But as I was coming to end I realised this painting is about something else, this painting is about something else I did. This painting is about 2013. 2013 cannot be worded, only given in vague imagery. It is not that the face is faded, but that you can still see the face”

“Retention: Band” Elizabeth Benson, Textile, 2026 “Retention: Band is a sculptural textile work created from naturally dyed butter muslin and silk organza. Dyed with madder root, iron, alkaline modifiers and resist processes, the fabrics are compressed into horizontal bands where tension fixes the cloth into dense folds. The work explores the relationship between softness and restraint, transformation and permanence. Colour, compression and gravity become collaborators in the making process, leaving the textile to hold a visible record of its own manipulation. The resulting form balances vulnerability with structure, inviting close attention to the subtle shifts of surface, material and light.” www.elizabethbensonart.com or instagram @elizaabenson

“The Afternoon Nap” Elizabeth de Broise, Colour Pencil, 2026 “My practice is fuelled by a lifelong love of both dogs and drawing, and I am particularly interested in exploring the unique nature of our relationship with dogs and the varied roles they play in society. The Afternoon Nap is one of several drawings in my Sleeping Dogs Collection, which demonstrates how integrated dogs are in our homes and the level of trust and reliance they have on humans, through portraying them comfortably at their most vulnerable. The piece, like most of my work, was drawn in colour pencil to allow for the most precision and detail. I enjoy pushing this medium to it’s limits; creating large scale painting style artworks with a material that is most often confined to sketches, small pieces or preparatory works. Whilst my style is realistic, my method is more abstracted; the piece was created by drawing a grid of squares on the paper and fully rendering one square at a time; effectively making small abstract drawings that come together to gradually form a representational whole.” Website: www.elizabethdebroise.com / Instagram: @artbyelizabethdebroise

“The Last Supper” Emily Barratt, Photographic collage, 2025 “My work explores the notion of dreams and hallucinations, or scenarios that could represent either of these. This stems from a fascination I have with listening to people’s interpretations and recollections of their own dreams, and the bizarre inner workings of our subconscious. When we dream we have no control over what our minds choose to show us, and I like to play with this vulnerability. As my work has changed and developed, I have built upon a ‘character’ as a way of creating a protagonist which appears in nearly all the works, sometimes multiple times in the same print. This evokes ideas surrounding doppelgangers, identity and ambiguity.” www.emilyrbarratt.co.uk @emilybfineart

“Drifting Movements” Fia Cavozzi, Mixed fabrics, acrylic on wood, paper and cardboard, 2026 “Drifting Movements: I wanted a main painting that draws you into the work. This installation moves when the viewer changes their viewing angle as you move around the installation. The painting perspective shifts due to the cardboard cutout. This colour scene extends across the space, with different tones of blue, light greens and oranges to complement the fabric and cardboard to create its own separate space. In the landscape painting, a cat sits on the bridge. This cat is a figment of my imagination and just exists in the world, exploring boundaries within the world. The cat is also in the fabric pool below, blending blue into water. The illusion of dissolving water gives the impression that you are closer than you feel. You are not near, but you are close.” Instagram: @nothingsquid_

“Burning Tide” Gaby Salvi, mixed media acrylic, 2026 “This abstract mixed-media piece captures the tension between opposing forces — water and fire, calm and destruction, softness and power. Flowing oceanic blues crash against fiery, textured earth tones, creating a dramatic boundary where transformation takes place. The layered textures and embedded elements evoke movement, erosion, and resilience, suggesting that beauty can emerge from conflict and instability

“The Fall of Elon” Gen Doy, pencil and ink on coloured paper, 2025 “A contemporary update of the myth of the Fall of Icarus, we see one of Elon Musk's rocket's breaking up and falling into the sea, while Musk himself is seen as just a leg protruding from the water, evidence of his fall. Sea creatures and birds flock to see if this new arrival is worth their interest, or even worth eating. Musk reacted to criticism that his breaking spacecraft might harm sea creatures after they fell into a protected marine area, stating that if a whale were to be killed that whale had it coming. The drawing shows the sky and the ocean and the island of Hubris.” https://www.gendoy.com @pepedoy https://www.instagram.com/pepedoy/

“Gaza” Gillian Mather, acrylic on canvas, 2025 “At times of conflict, artists have a duty to express the horrors of war. Notable examples are the works of Goya and Picasso. My painting 'Gaza' has been created in this tradition. 'Gaza' expresses the utter horror and despair experienced by a man holding the dead body of his loved one. That a whole society should be devastated this way is beyond comprehension. Although 'Gaza' was painted from my imagination, it expresses the suffering of civilians from the violence and devastation of war that is universal and timeless.” www.gillianmather.com

“Hampton Court Palace” Joanna Benfield, Watercolour and fineliner pen, 2025 “When I painted this view of Hampton Court Palace, I wanted to move away from the serious, formal feel usually associated with historic landmarks. My goal was to inject a sense of joie de vivre into the scene, reimagining the palace through a storybook lens that feels warm and approachable. While I have kept the architectural details of the Tudor brickwork and the grand gatehouse, they are balanced by a much more playful energy. The heart of the painting is the row of traditional rowing boats along the Thames. I have stylised them into bold, cheerful vessels, decorated with bright patterns and primary colours, adding a friendly, welcoming presence to the water. By combining the old-world weight of the Palace with these whimsical vessels and their soft, shimmering reflections, I hope to lift the observer's spirits. It’s my way of capturing the quiet joy and optimism of a perfect afternoon by the river, turning a grand piece of history into something that feels like a happy escape.” www.joannabenfieldart.com

“Calm in Every Turn, Stillness is the True Destination” Harriet Pybus, Photography, 2023 “This spiral staircase, captured in black and white, draws the eye inward through its graceful curves and contrasting shadows. Its endless turns evoke a sense of calm and reflection, reminding us that while the journey may wind and twist, stillness remains the true destination.” https://harrietpybusphoto.etsy.com

“Shed Salty Tears” Helen Birnbaum, Ceramic and reclaimed media, 2023 “In 2023, 480,343 pieces of litter were found on UK beaches, by 2024 this had become 764,451.. The fish, marine animals and birds that become caught in plastic rubbish suffocate, stave and drown: hundreds of marine species have been harmed by the debris we leave in our oceans. As our planet faces greater and greater environmental problems I strive to create work that combines important ecological messages alongside sustainable practice. Shed Salty Tears draws attention to the bleaching of the sea bed and pollution and consists of many ceramic pieces which are integrated with found objects. Calling us to take notice of this environmental crisis is the statue of a woman at the centre of the ceramic installation Shed Salty Tears; the voice of the planet, calling us to notice the state of our environment degraded by industrialisation. Crushed cans, rusty metal forms and discarded plastic cluster around the central sculptures. Reclaimed materials challenge viewers to consider what they consume and how it is discarded. Shed Salty Tears is a triptych with each of the three separate sections having their own particular emphasis. Each section has approximately fifty white, grey and blue shells, corals and other sea life surrounding three large central sculpted figures; a telephone; an African harp and a crying figure shedding salty tears. In striking contrast brightly coloured ceramic made red, orange and green drinks cans, milk bottles and baked bean cans suggest the detritus causing damage to our seas and beaches. Shed Salty Tears also includes a selection of bizarre sea creatures envisaged as part organic and part metal debris suggesting that because of the rubbish we throw into the sea this is what the creatures might even become - part organic matter and part the rubbish we humans have left behind.” helenbirnbaumceramics.com @helenbirnbaumceramics

“Bioregional Dialect: Automatic Verse in Iron Gall Ink” Helen Armstrong, Textile/Screen-print/Pigment Making, 2026 “A selection from an extensive series of cut-up poems that have been screen-printed onto raw organic linen using a historically accurate adaptation of a 16th-century iron gall ink recipe. (more info on my website https://helencarmstrong.com/projects/bioregional-dialect-iron-gall-ink and also https://helencarmstrong.com/projects/irongallink) This work is a text-based inquiry that employs the cut-up technique and a combination of digital and analogue manipulation to destabilise and reconfigure an archaic text. Utilising a re-creation of a historic ink made from locally foraged oak galls to carry the words, the process opens up opportunities for dialogue with unauthored voices. By deconstructing and reassembling source material, an opportunity arises to peer behind the veil between personal perception and non-human agency. Through this process, ultimate control over the outcome is surrendered to facilitate the becoming of chaos, randomisation, and the other, inviting the beholder to decode a broken language.” https://helencarmstrong.com

“Hope” Summer Dawes, Faber Castell polychromos, 2023 “Hope is a 20cm by 15cm piece of art created using Faber Castell wax based colouring pencils. The piece was created to represent the hope that is felt amongst mothers that the baby they are growing will be healthy and well. The piece was created in honour of all the babies born sleeping, lost in utero and for the mothers who struggle with fertility. This message is conveyed through the umbilical cord in the artwork spelling the word ‘hope’. The umbilical cord was chosen as this is the closest connection between a baby and mother quite literally connecting them” Facebook - Sketches by Summer, Instagram - @sketchesbysummergb, TikTok - @sketchesbysummer

“Veil on the grain” Robert Melia, Pyrography on 3mm Birch plywood with mixed media, 2026 “Veil on the grain is part of a body of work of age and wisdom. It celebrates the textures we gain as we get older, and like the rings of a tree, our bodies produce wrinkles and weathered skin. But more importantly the wisdom we gain with that aging process. This eye as cataract but the face says it as seen a full life lived, and with that knowledge of the world that a young person simply doesn't have. We need to look after our elderly people because they can teach us so much that school cannot. Not English or maths but experience of life, how to cope with the ups and the downs will will have during our life time. This piece is NFS.” @oldhampyrography

“Out of the bath” Jasper Oaks, pencil, 2024 “Pencil drawing of a faceless woman stood with stairs behind her. A towel wrapped around her body and one around her hair. Her face is replaced by the reflection of the bathroom behind you.” Oaksart.uk

“Held Between Thoughts” Jenette Morrell, Mixed Media, 2026 “This mixed-media figurative work presents a solitary figure leaning forward. The pose conveys introspection, weariness, or emotional withdrawal, while the downward gaze avoids direct engagement with the viewer.” www.jenettecoldrick.com

“Flower Face Vase #7” Jennifer Hines, Riso Print, 2026 “Flower Face Vase combines human-like characters with plant and flower elements as a springboard to delve into our relationships with nature and play with ideas of traditional portraiture. This is part of a series of risoprints that explore the characters in a quirky and joyful way, combining flower drawings and characters into a vase-like form sprouting with blooms and surrounded by a decorative frame, subverting ideas of traditional portraiture while giving a whimsical representation.” www.jenniferhines.design and @abctypography

“The Garbage” Jenny Ping Lam Lin, Film photography, 2026 “In this series, the term "garbage," often belittled and misunderstood, serves as the central theme. It acts as a medium and metaphor for the upper-level suppression experienced during growth, encompassing oppression from parents, educational institutions, industry power, and societal values. In the educational culture of China, being labeled as garbage can render all efforts worthless. Many Asian students, under intense mental pressure from an early age, go to extreme lengths to prove their worth. The focus on electronic waste in landfills highlights how the orderly arrangement of discarded screens and machines resembles a graduation photo. Just as graduates face uncertainties and challenges after their studies, these discarded items wait to be discovered or recognized for their value. The confusion and pessimism about the future reflect the societal labeling that young people endure today.” @Jason_liiin

“Ascension” Julie Baum, Pencil and archival ink pen with gold leaf accents on canvas sheet, 2026 “A crane emerges from still waters with wings fully extended, poised between earth and sky. Through intricate linework and luminous gold leaf, Julie Baum explores the duality of grounding and freedom, presenting the crane as a symbol of resilience, transformation, and spiritual elevation. Ascension captures the universal desire to rise beyond limitation while remaining rooted in one's origins.” sites.google.com/view/juliebaum/home

“Untitled” Kate Fallon-Cousins, Collage, 2025 “All my work is figurative and centres around a human character. They are constructed from parts somewhat like Frankenstein's monster. In the past I have made real assemblages from objects and I began to approach collage in the same way. Looking for arms legs and heads. I try to make them fresh and dynamic. Perhaps they are dancing or maybe falling with style. They often have halo's because they are aspirational and spiritual. They are made from antiques magazines and this gives me weird and wonderful objects. Beautiful colours and patterns. I prefer when they are on a white background. This gives the image a white outline which is very effective on a black background. I wasn't directly influenced by Giuseppe Arcimboldo however I am using the same artistic language that he created. All my work is dedicated to Peace. I realised that although I am poor in money I am rich in collage so I could use my art for good. I enjoy doing my version of anatomy. Although it is not necessarily realistic I enjoy finding hands and feet, I love thighs and calves, waists and pelvis. I actually gave the original to a charity shop in Wallasey village.” @Maximism.bsky.social

“Passageway next to St John’s Gardens, Manchester” Kathryn Nuttall, Oil on canvas, 2026 “This painting depicts a walkway beside St John's Gardens in central Manchester, a transitional space where nature and the built environment exist in close proximity. I was drawn to the scene by the contrast between the trees and shrubs bordering the gardens and the stark concrete façade of the adjacent office building. The composition explores the tension between the organic and the constructed, a recurring theme throughout my work. Painted from observations made in early November, the work captures a fleeting seasonal moment. Amber and yellow leaves illuminate the upper part of the scene, while others drift to the pavement below, creating a sense of movement and impermanence. As I was sketching, a young woman walking through the passage while looking at her phone provided a human presence, introducing a contemporary narrative and a sense of scale within the urban landscape. This painting forms part of a wider body of work investigating climate change through locations within a fifteen-mile radius of Manchester. Influenced by the Romantic tradition, I am interested in how moments of natural beauty continue to exist within environments shaped by human activity. Romantic artists sought emotional and spiritual engagement with nature, often responding to its power and transience. Today, as concerns about climate change, biodiversity loss and environmental degradation become increasingly urgent, these themes take on renewed relevance. St John's Gardens itself embodies the layered relationship between people, history and nature. Created on the site of the former churchyard of St John's Church, the gardens contain the remains of more than 22,000 people and have evolved into an important green space within the city centre. The presence of mature trees, including species valued for their resilience in urban conditions, highlights nature's ability to endure and adapt within heavily developed environments. By juxtaposing the softness of autumn light and foliage with the solidity of concrete architecture, the painting reflects both the fragility and resilience of the natural world. It invites viewers to pause and consider the importance of these everyday urban green spaces and the role they play in sustaining both ecological diversity and human wellbeing.” @tempest_arts_kn

“Sing into Pain” Kieran Rook, oil on canvas, reclaimed sash window frame, sand from margate beach, 2026 “Rook’s psychologically layered, deliberately enigmatic works blur reality and fiction, past and present. In ‘Sing into Pain’, set at Nayland Rock promenade shelter in Margate, the inverted figure suspended beneath the shelter roof suggests a moment of psychic dislocation, vulnerability, and endurance. Seagulls, the open shoreline, and the distant trace of the built environment root the work in a recognisable coastal space, while also shifting it into something dreamlike and unstable. The title, with its suggestion of turning suffering into expression, resonates with the shelter’s association with T.S. Eliot and ‘The Waste Land’, drawing the painting into a space where personal anguish, cultural memory, and melancholic transformation converge.” kieranrook.com/

“Complications in Yellow” L McGowan, Art by Elpium, Oil on canvas, 2026 “A representation of the small complexities of life, in Yellow.” @art_by_elpium

“Before and After” Justyna Lucka, oil on canvas board, 2026 “Meditation on perception of women in society. Before is the attempt of freedom, created with a palette knife and big, decisive moves. After shows a result of conforming to the society, with the subject being trapped, weighed down and eventually drowned by expectations of others. It is made in small brushstrokes, signifying stagnation, stillness, defeat.” @fuszerkakolektyw

“A view from Rainbow's End” Laura (fLaura & fauna healing stitches), hand embroidery, 2025 “In the summer of 2025, I was unwittingly getting closer and closer to burnout. Years of being stuck in fight or flight was slowly chipping away at my functioning, my mood and my work-life balance. I didn't recognise it, but my brain and nervous system were in overdrive. I'd desperately search for things to help with the overwhelm and anxiety, often trying hobby after hobby, but never being able to stick to anything or find anything that really helped. I had bought a basic embroidery kit that summer, as another attempt at trying to calm my poor brain, and for some reason when I started that simple kit, my brain felt like it was being told it was safe. Since then, I have developed my skills and started going to a weekly stitching group, and it's quite frankly saved my life. In October, just a few months after discovering embroidery, a friend had his life turned upside down when he had a stroke at age 47. My nervous system was yet again on high alert, remembering the feelings of previous trauma, except this time, I could turn to embroidery. He owns a boat called Rainbow's End, which is a floating haven of calm, so whilst he was in hospital trying to recover his life and function back, I started this piece. By the time it was ready, it was perfect for his Christmas present, and represents my solace during those 3 months, his progress, and is the calm pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I'd love to help show you that even when your brain is struggling, busy, stuck in fight or flight, or always on the go from past trauma, that healing can start from just a needle and thread.” @flaurafaunahealingstitches

“As Pílulas do Juízo Final (Mosaico II) / The Doomsday Pills (Mosaic II)” Ivo Lazarevitch, Digital collage of photographs, 2026 “This work is an outgrowth of a daily artistic procedure that I have been performing since 2024: I always use my phone to photograph, in the exact same manner, the medications I am about to take moments before ingesting them. Following a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia in 2023, this project emerged as an urgent attempt to secure and maintain my sanity from a critical standpoint, leveraging my position as an artist-researcher to navigate this rupture. Considering that I do not use the prescribed dosage—sometimes taking more than one benzodiazepine, sometimes taking less of an antipsychotic, constantly varying the doses of the five psychotropic drugs I administer to myself—I have built an archive that currently holds over 400 very similar photographs. As Pílulas do Juízo Final is the archive itself. This monochromatic mosaic, composed of nine photographs rigorously multiplied and mirrored within the grid, is merely one of the possible ways of presenting this daily work, which intends to record a political disobedience against the pathologizing logic of society, but above all, of psychiatry. Grounded in the conceptual framework of the open work, this visual assemblage transforms the intimate, repetitive ritual of medical compliance into an act of micropolitical insurgency, where the fragmentation of the body and the drug highlights the chemical mediation of contemporary subjectivity.” @ivolazarevitch

$“Being George Orwell 21” Maryna Gradnova, Ink on paper, 494mm x 338mm, 2026 “To see through George Orwell is not to look back, but to look again. The world has shifted—its surfaces, its speed, its language—yet something beneath remains disturbingly familiar. Power softens its edges, truth fractures into versions, and thought moves quickly but not always deeply. Is this change, or only a new skin? The work lingers in that uncertainty. It does not declare, it senses. It moves between recognition and doubt, where past and present blur, and the question remains unresolved—quiet, persistent, and impossible to escape.” @costumemodehistory$

“Being George Orwell 21” Maryna Gradnova, Ink on paper, 494mm x 338mm, 2026 “To see through George Orwell is not to look back, but to look again. The world has shifted—its surfaces, its speed, its language—yet something beneath remains disturbingly familiar. Power softens its edges, truth fractures into versions, and thought moves quickly but not always deeply. Is this change, or only a new skin? The work lingers in that uncertainty. It does not declare, it senses. It moves between recognition and doubt, where past and present blur, and the question remains unresolved—quiet, persistent, and impossible to escape.” @costumemodehistory

“Doll house” Mike Lang, Oil on canvas, 2026 “Portrait and figures with a surreal feel and combination of muted and bright” @mikelangartist

“The Salty Crisp Pub” Milly Aburrow, 2025 “This captivating installation pays homage to the quintessentially British public house-rich in history, filled with memories, and a place where new stories are forged. Inspired by her personal connection to The Star and Garter, her family’s local pub in East Dean, West Sussex, Aburrow explores themes of tradition, shared experiences, and the enduring importance of connection and conversation. With a playful nod to her favourite snack, crisps, the exhibition blends nostalgia with a contemporary celebration of communal spaces. Drawing a parallel between the way pubs and art unite people, the installation reflects how a shared experience can spark conversation, foster support, and strengthen bonds-powerful elements that lie at the heart of community life. Milly extends her heartfelt gratitude to all who have influenced her artistic journey so far. The Salty Crisp Pub is a tribute to the spirit of community that has shaped her creative path.” https://www.millyaburrow.com

“Reflections” Monika Lorincova, Photography, 2025 “Black and white photograph” https://artworksmonika.wixsite.com/artworksmonika

“Abstract Expressionist Painting 40” Nigel Waters, Acrylic On Canvas, 2025 “Abstract Expressionist Painting 40 is an abstract inspired by the the coast and the sea. The painting was started en plein air and then finished in the studio. I have used vibrant fauvist style colours. The painting is framed in a white wood tray frame and has been exhibited at the Penwith Gallery St Ives Associate Members Spring Exhibition 2026. The work is inspired by the abstract expressionist artists and St Ives Modernist Artists.” @nigelwatersart www.nigelwatersart.co.uk

“The Victoria sisters: Ene & Vicky” Obiaje (O-byah-jeh), Acrylic Paint and ankara fabric in cotton canvas, 2023 “This painting was inspired by the TV show Bridgerton. It was the first time I saw people of colour portrayed in an elegant historical setting, rather than the Black body being reduced to images of slavery. I wanted to create a piece inspired by that feeling, something that allows other people to see how sophisticated and beautiful African culture can be. I combined Victorian-inspired fashion with an Ankara-patterned background to merge both influences together. Through this piece, I want people to understand that beauty is not limited to one standard.” https://www.obiajesart.com/

"The Sovereign Synthesis" Orock Evelyne Emede, 2026 "As part of my Sovereign Synthesis series, this work investigates the intersection of identity and contemporary editorial aesthetics. Through a deliberate synthesis of avant-garde makeup artistry and conceptual portraiture, I explore how personal and cultural narratives are constructed in the digital age. This piece serves as a visual bridge between traditional beauty standards and modern, experimental forms, reflecting my commitment to pushing the boundaries of high-fashion storytelling."

“Untitled I” Qianyi ZHU, Acrylic and Charcoal on Tracing paper, 59.4cm x 84.1cm, 2025 “This work develops through a process of layering marks on tracing paper, a material that has become central to my practice. Its transparency and fragility allow images to build gradually through repeated gestures staining, drawing, and rubbing pigment onto both sides of the surface. Light passes through the paper while marks accumulate, creating a shifting field where traces overlap and bleed into one another. A recurring motif in the work is a simplified tree-like structure. The form is repeated across the surface through acts of tracing and redrawing, sometimes following a previous version, sometimes guided only by memory. With each repetition the image subtly changes: branches bend, lines thicken or dissolve, and fragments disappear into smudged layers. Rather than representing a fixed object, the tree becomes a structure through which memory is tested, altered, and re-encountered. Through this process of repetition and variation, the work reflects a non-linear experience of time. Marks gather like sediment, and gestures remain visible as traces of their making. The image is not resolved into a single moment but unfolds as an accumulation of actions, where past and present iterations coexist within the same surface.” 2025.gsapostgradshowcase.net/qianyi-zhu-2

“Queen Victoria Denudes Brighton Pavilion Of Its Furniture (2026)” Sean BW Parker, Oil pastel and mixed media painting on canvas, 2026 “Having decided she didn't like it, Queen Victoria denuded Brighton Pavilion of its furniture, sending it all to Buckingham Palace instead. This painting is my reimagining of this event.” https://www.saatchiart.com/en-gb/seanbwparker, @seanbwparker7 , https://x.com/seanbwparker

“Standing Strong & Traving Through Change” Kathy Wray, Ink, Paster and Wax on Paper, 2026 “Standing Strong - is about transformation through challenges within life and cycles of life, by allowing and having faith to trust and be strong that things pass naturally without trying to hard to avoid or change anything. Travelling Through Change - is an expression of what we carry and hold within the body with awareness and our spiritual paths of direction” https://linktr.ee/kathywrayartist

“o sweet spontaneous” Steve Hines, Wall relief/sculpture. Steel, acrylic paint, plywood, 2024 “A wall relief using steel cut from a 54 year old Citroen DS chassis currently being repaired and restored. The title is a line from a poem by e.e. cummings. The shape of the steel is as was cut off the car with an angle grinder, making the title quite appropriate. 79.5 x 53 x 6cm” @stevehinesartist

“Outsiders” Susan Plover, mixed media, 2026 “A collage on a card ground. I have assembled fragments found in a glossy magazine to narrate the title...Outsiders. Reading from the left the viewer is taken from a plush theatre setting to glimpse a far harsher reality gritily portrayed in a muted sketchy pallette to riff against the privileged opulence.” www.susanplover.co.uk

“Table for One (IV)” Cat Northfield, oil on wood, 2026 “This painting is part of a series of 6 oil paintings on wood, exploring the psychological landscape of eating alone. Painting IV invites the viewer to intrude on an intimate scene: a reflective moment after a missed meal, and the subsequent late-night fortitude drawn from a drink and a cigarette.” www.catnorthfield.com @cat.northfield.art

The Wheel - Fate’s Ballroom (acrylic on 11×14″ canvas panel) Tazzy Moon This painting belongs to The Veiled Court, an acrylic series reimagining the Major Arcana as ethereal, feminine figures inhabiting a palace of the psyche. The Wheel sits in Act 2.2, Deeper Within: the ballroom is at the palace’s core - it is the engine the structure turns around. Atop a crooked staircase, a dancer wields fabric that encircles the room - consuming one figure who screams below, and drifting behind another who watches, wide-eyed. The dancer is Fate. The painting asks what it means to be subject to forces larger than the self, and whether awareness of those forces is a form of freedom - or simply a clearer view of the mechanism. @tazzy_moon /// website: www.tazzymoon.com

“The Pavilion” Imogen Perkin, oil, 2025 “I make paintings that depict landscapes of an expansive, man-made world. I'm not sure which I find more exciting - the abstract constructions around us, or the figures that inhabit them. It's the relationship between the person and the structure that makes the image come alive. I am interested in the massive structures of architecture and machinery around us, and the way man relates to them, negotiating their everyday lives amongst these dominating structures. They are part of the scene rather than the focus of it. Sometimes they are purposefully vulnerable. Mostly, they are purposefully insignificant. My protagonists can be down-at-heel, but I hope their presence transcends into something more significant. My paintings reference a painting tradition of depicting people living and working in the town and its surroundings. The ambivalence of this relationship between the city and her inhabitants seems as relevant as ever. The still image, be it through painting or photography can capture this instant, giving weight to a moment and sense of place. This image, "The Pavilion", is a painting of our local shopping centre. Two figures are passing through, one on their way to the exit and outside. Another is minding a stall. They inhabit a space that might otherwise be described as liminal. I found the shimmering reflections of the highly polished surfaces give an ethereal and unworldly air to what is, in reality, a very ordinary shopping mall. Dreams are invested in the things we shop for, and I hope this picture reflects this.”

“Catch of the Day” Tracey Lemon, pastel, 2026 “Puffin pastel drawing using Rembrandt pastels and Faber castell pastel pencils on ingres pastel paper size 30cm x 23cm” artistsandillustrators.co.uk

“Characteristic of Surreal” Uchenna Odukwe, Mixed Media On Paper, 2023 “The celebration of the unconscious mind, the irrational, and dream logic to liberate the imagination from the constraints of reason by placing objects in bizarre, illogical, and unexpected contexts.” www.ucheart.com

“Daniel’s Vision at the Tigris River” Vincent Baltazar Paa, Acrylic on canvas, 2026 This painting depicts Daniel 10 in the Bible. “On the twenty-fourth day of the first month, as I was standing on the bank of the great river, the Tigris, I looked up and there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine gold from Uphaz around his waist. His body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches, his arms and legs like the gleam of burnished bronze, and his voice like the sound of a multitude. I, Daniel, was the only one who saw the vision; those who were with me did not see it, but such terror overwhelmed them that they fled and hid themselves. So I was left alone, gazing at this great vision; I had no strength left, my face turned deathly pale and I was helpless. Then I heard him speaking, and as I listened to him, I fell into a deep sleep, my face to the ground.” www.vbpaa.uk

“No.39” Why.Not.Me, Mixed Media: Calligraphy, interference pigments on cotton., 2026 “№39: Superposition of the Self This work reinterprets the ancient dualism of Yin Yang through the lens of modern physics, specifically the state of superposition. It explores the idea that internal contradictions—light and shadow, order and chaos—coexist simultaneously until defined by the act of observation. Through intersecting calligraphic lines, the piece captures a moment of “fragile equality.” It serves as a wearable reminder that modern identity is not a static state, but a constant, delicate search for equilibrium between all existing forces within the self.”

“City: Open Score” Xiaoyang Meng (Artist)&Laomie Huang(Technical Support), Kinetic Sound Installation, 2026 City: Open Score is a kinetic sound installation consisting of 9 mechanical music boxes and 8-meter-long punched strips. The artwork stems from artist Xiaoyang Meng’s questioning of the “pseudo-randomness” found in modern computer programs. The artist seeks to find true, uncontrollable human variables that have not been alienated by technology. Since 2021, Meng has traveled across 7 countries and 12 regions, recording the flow of crowds on urban escalators. These real physical movements were then “translated” into physical notes on the music boxes. The work shows that even within these strict “physical algorithms,” true randomness and human warmth still exist. The title “Open Score” is borrowed from an experimental music term. In the exhibition space, music boxes representing different city time zones—such as London, Beijing, and Rome—operate simultaneously. Because the installation preserves the actual differences in escalator speeds, how people stood, and recording durations from each location, the punched strips run asynchronously (out of sync). It feels as if each city is spinning to its own time zone and rhythm; they occasionally intersect, only to pass each other by the next second. These staggered sounds generate “infinite melodic combinations,” turning the site into a piece of music that will never repeat exactly the same way. The current baseline exhibition features 9 units, representing mapped data from 9 global regions: London, Amsterdam, Lisbon, Beijing, Jinan, Hong Kong, Seoul, Vatican City, and Florence.” https://xiaoyangmeng.com/

“Soft Ruins” Yasmin Grant, Oil textured clay, 2026 “My painting evokes a landscape suspended between memory and erosion — a place where ruins do not collapse harshly, but soften into the earth that created them. The grey sky hangs heavily above the scene, quiet and atmospheric, pressing a muted stillness across the composition. Beneath it, the red clay terrain breathes warmth through its deep mineral tones, giving the landscape an ancient, weathered presence. The gold added moves subtly through the surface like traces of forgotten light caught within the ruins, while black adds depth and shadow, suggesting remnants of structures dissolving into time. Hints of green emerge delicately through the textured layers, like signs of life reclaiming what has been abandoned. I wanted to create a rich texture of the paint to reinforce the feeling of decay transformed into beauty — the ruins are not broken, but softened by wind, earth, and memory. The landscape feels both desolate and alive, carrying a quiet tension between permanence and disappearance.” www.yasmingrant.co.uk @yasmingrantstudio60

“Winter Hill Walk” Zena Farel, Acrylic, 2025 “From freezing treks through the icy North Yorkshire hills” www.farel.co.uk / www.thetinshed.co.uk/artist-studios/zena-farel / @northwind365 / fb zena farel /

“El Gallo” Zully Mejía, Oil and oil stick on linen, 2026 “In El Gallo (The Rooster), Mejía depicts a friend in a state of serenity, utilising body language and bold colour to convey confidence and joy. The portrait is a celebration of the sitter and was created in dialogue with them. The work presents an exploration of identity in relation to nature. The presence of the rooster evokes a reconsidering of conventional associations within the context of gender and culture.” www.zullymejia.com

“The Dance” Bahar Talebi Najafabadi, Oil on canvas, 2024 "The Dance" presents a striking exploration of movement and heritage, centered on a figure captured in a moment of classical poise. The composition is anchored by the dancer’s fluid gesture—one arm reaching toward the heavens while the other extends with refined delicacy. This pose, synonymous with traditional Persian dance, conveys a sense of "naz," or elegant playfulness, transforming the canvas into a silent performance that feels both ancient and immediate. The subject is adorned in meticulously rendered traditional attire, reminiscent of the Qajar era. The deep crimson of the "arkhaloq" (the long-sleeved jacket) provides a bold focal point, its weighted fabric contrasting beautifully against the light, voluminous folds of the white skirt. The background offers a sophisticated, impressionistic counterpoint to the realism of the dancer. Using a dappled, textural technique, a field of vertical strokes and soft colors is created and suggest a crowded hall or a sun-dappled garden without distracting from the main subject. This shimmering backdrop gives the piece an ethereal quality, as if the dancer is momentarily suspended in a world of light and color, separated from the physical constraints of a stage. Ultimately, this 70×99 cm oil painting serves as a bridge between the past and the present. By translating a photograph into this large-scale oil work, I have elevated a fleeting moment into a permanent celebration of cultural identity. The interplay between the sharp focus on the traditional garments and the dreamlike abstraction of the background ensures that "The Dance" is not just a portrait of a person, but a portrait of a living history.” Instagram: The.summer.collection

“The home is ...” Amy Bucki, Photography, 2024 “Where is Home ? Is it a place ? A building ? A state of mind ? This is a photography project using miniatures and landscapes that aims to juxtapose traditional, domestic scenes of relaxation, onto unusual and contrasting surroundings. In our busy and stress-filled lives, we all need somewhere to just unwind and leave the world behind.” @bucki_photography

“The Truth is a Lie, the Lie is the Truth”

Dex Hannon, 2025

“An abstract exploration of distortion and collapse fractured geometric forms collide, break apart, and reform in an unsettling rhythm. Structure and order dissolve, giving way to chaos. The world feels much the same. Once-stable foundations are eroding, leaving behind uncertainty and discord.

Created from a single image into stop-frame animation, that is then manipulated and distorted repeatedly. Each iteration erases, warps, and reconfigures the original form mirroring the way truth itself is reshaped, repeated, and fractured beyond recognition. What was once clear becomes untrustworthy. The familiar is dismantled and reconstructed into something alien.

The rise of the far right is no longer a distant spectre; it is present, pervasive, and insidious. Truth is no longer absolute, evidence is dismissed, facts are distorted, and reality itself is reshaped to serve ideology. Society fractures, and the systems designed to uphold it falter. The weight of disinformation, division, and polarisation presses down, making the future feel unknowable.

At a personal crossroads, I struggle to reconcile my place in an increasingly unrecognisable world. This film attempts to articulate that disorientation visually and sonically through a language of shifting geometric forms and raw, improvised spoken word.

Vocalised by my alter ego, Dexuality Valentino, the narration is a fragmented, free-form response to a world unravelling, an urgent, fractured voice in a time of deep uncertainty.

The film is both the end of a process and the beginning of another. The film is meticulously examined for interesting new compositions that the process has created. These are then extracted from the film as new digital artworks.”

https://dexhannon.co.uk

@dexhannonartist - Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DexHannon

“Don't Go in the Room”

Charles Eades, 2025

“Once upon a time, there were fevered rumours of a mysterious room that would appear, without explanation, in any house, any building, as if it had always been there. The door was always locked but sometimes, the stories say, there were those who were able to enter. Most were never seen again, those who returned were driven insane by their experiences. In the early 2000s a low budget film was made inspired by this phenomenon. Those involved all vanished without a trace but the film survived, hidden away in internet forums and hard drives across the world. For the first time presented in its entirety is the remaining footage from that film.”

https://charleseades.co.uk/