‘In the Footsteps of the East London Group’, The Nunnery Gallery, London until 22nd December 2024

Image credits: 1: detail of painting © East London Group - 'Bryant and May’s, Grace Oscroft (undated)'; 2: detail of painting © Doreen Fletcher - 'Lost in Spitalfields'

I’m delighted to have been invited to participate in this exciting exhibition at the Nunnery Gallery, in Bow - 4th October to 22nd December 2024. Hope you can come along and see this extraordinary show! 

'In the footsteps of the East London Group' - brings together around 30 original paintings by the former East London Group alongside 22 original works by contemporary painters responding to the theme. The artists will include members of the Urban Contemporaries group and invited artists - including DAVID HEPHER, DOREEN FLETCHER, BEN JOHNSON, TIMOTHY HYMAN RA, PHILIPPA BEALE, MARC GOODERHAM, JAMES MACKINNON, HARRIET MENA HILL, amongst many other fabulous artists (full list below).

The historic East London Group began with evening painting classes in Bethnal Green; made up of mostly 'working-class men and women', the group painted what surrounded them – the East End – capturing their city in a way never previously seen. The accompanying contemporary works explore a city changing at an even faster rate, capturing the buildings that have been dismantled and recreated, the historic remnants that defiantly remain and delve into the the artists' personal encounters with the urban experience.

This exhibition is curated by ALAN WALTHAM, FERHA FAROOQUI, FRANK CREBER AND THE NUNNERY GALLERY.

Exhibiting artists include:

Philippa Beale, Alexandra Blum, Tim Craven, Frank Creber, Gethin Evans, Ferha Farooqui, Annette Fernando, Doreen Fletcher, Marc Gooderham, David Hepher, Timothy Hyman RA, Ben Johnson, Michael Johnson, Sarah Lowe, James Mackinnon, Fiona McIntyre, Harriet Mena Hill, Alex Pemberton, Nicole Poh, Hilary Rosen, Melissa Scott-Miller, Grant Watson

A newly commissioned sound piece by Felix Taylor will also provide an atmospheric soundscape to the exhibition.

Where: The Nunnery Gallery, 181 Bow Road, London, E3 2SJ  
Nearest stations:  Bow Road (eight mins walk) or DLR Bow Church: (five mins walk)
Bus: 205, 25, 425, A8, D8, 108, 276, 488 and 8 all service the surrounding area.

When: 4 October – 22 December 2024,
Tues - Sun, 10am - 4pm

bowarts.org/nunnerygallery

1: detail of painting © East London Group - 'Bryant and May’s, Grace Oscroft (undated)'

2: detail of painting © Doreen Fletcher - 'Lost in Spitalfields'