Artist Residence are once again opening their doors to the public
This year, Artist Residence Hotel and Gallery is once again taking part in the Brighton Fringe Festival.
The hotel rooms within Artist Residence hold an important relationship with art. Each room is lovingly decorated by a different artist in their own unique style, giving guests at the hotel a unique experience of living within an artwork. Artists such as Pinky, Hutch, Matt Sewell and Andy McLynn have graced the walls with their original artworks. For a limited time the Artist Residence Hotel is opening its doors to non-residents to display these one-off pieces of art.
Alongside the hotel is the AR gallery which hosts a Residency Programme that provides up and coming artists with accommodation, a studio, and a solo exhibition within the gallery for a two month period. They give an opportunity for emerging talent to build a body of work, without financial pressure.
Brighton-based abstract expressionist, Jamie Shaw kicks off at Artist Residence with Shadows, an all-new body of work he has created during his Residency at the Artist Residence. Shadows, taps into both our ancient, childlike connection with nature and the primal fears we face in unfamiliar territory. Jamie’s Exhibition will remain in the gallery for the Fringe Festival’s duration and is an event not to be missed!
Alongside the gallery space, the hotel will be housing the open studios. Talented illustrator, designer and printmaker Fox Fisher has been a big contender on the Brighton art scene, and even if you think you haven’t seen his work, chances are, you have! Winner of the London Cut & Paste Awards and then fourth in the world championships in 2009, Fox has since gone up to set up his design company Salute Creative. Fox’s graphical style will be a wonderful juxtaposition to the ethereal paintings of Jamie Shaw, and the open studios will be allowing visitors to the Artist Residence the opportunity to see it being created.
The Artist Residence Hotel and Gallery will also be re-opening their cafe over the Fringe. This year the cafe have invited local cake makers Kate’s Cookhouse to provide a selection of cakes, and to enjoy a piece of cake properly, you need tea. The AR cafe will be selling a huge variety of fair trade and organically produced tea by TeaPigs to make it extra special.
The cafe will also be putting Fox’s talents to further use, where guests will be asked to create their own art. During the Fringe period, the AR will be providing the facilities for visitors to screen print their own white elephant designed by resident Fox, on recycled card and paper, or whatever a guest may have at hand. The white elephant is a symbol of political change, power and good fortune for Burma. This idea was inspired by Aung San Suu Kyi, Curator at this year’s Brighton Festival, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Burmese opposition leader. The white elephants will be a message of hope from Brighton.
Open studios at Artist Residence is at 33 Regency Square, Brighton and will be open to the public from the 7th to the 30th May, from 9am to 5pm.
