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Old Manor Park Library Open Studios
Sunday 6th October 2024 , 10:00am to 4:30pm
After three years, Old Manor Park Library reopens its doors for its Open Studios event! Meet the artists as they display their works spanning sculpture, installation, painting, drawing, costume and set design, photography and more!
Join us at this beautiful Grade II listed building and surround yourself in the creative company of 28 artists, grab a refreshment from speciality pop-up Coffee Press, or enjoy workshops from risograph printing to life drawing. Open Studios is a unique opportunity for artists to showcase their work in a fun and friendly setting.
We have a series of Open Studios events happening across October! Click here to see what’s in store.
Further information on the artist-led workshops running across the week and how to book below.
Workshops
11:00am – 1:00pm: Risograph Introduction with Rabbits Road Press
1.30pm – 2.30pm: Life Drawing with Kate Mayer
3:00pm – 4:00pm: Press Printing with Ellie Burkett and Nifra Noordeen
Introduction to Risograph Printing Workshops
| Live Riso Demonstration
12pm – 12.45pm Curious as to how a Risograph printer works? Interested in attending future workshops? Come along for a live Riso demonstration and showcase of Riso printed works by members of Rabbits Road Press, a community-focused studio in OMPL. A great opportunity for the creative and curious interested in developing a print practice. No booking necessary, prompt arrival recommended. Free, no booking required |
Introduction to Risograph Printing Workshops
Drop in Badge-Making Workshop (pay on the day)
11am – 1pm
Make your own badges from our eclectic mix of Risograph scraps! All materials are included, and you will get to take (or wear!) your badges home with you. No experience needed. Suitable for adults and children aged 5+. No booking necessary but spaces subject to availability on the day.
Life Drawing Workshop
1.30pm – 2.30pm
Free, no booking required
Press Printing Workshop
3pm – 4pm
Free, no booking required
Featuring
Chris Fite-Wassilak, Aoife Steyaert-Hernon, Belinda Nelson, Atelier Six Art, Umi Qulatein, Eleanor Burkett, Bernie Clarkson, Kate Mayer, Anita McCullough, Leah Lovett, Nifra Noordeen.
Meet The Artists
Belinda Nelson
Belinda works in costume making and styling, often taking inspiration from childish perception and the geometric shapes found in nostalgic toys. She likes to play with the sculptural qualities of garments to transform into completely new silhouettes. From working on the costume design and styling in music videos, she has been able to work more with the movement of garments to enhance performances and to contribute to the expression of different characters through dress. This is where her work comes to life best in performance and character development.
Rabbits Road Press
Rabbits Road Press is a community Risograph print studio and publishing press founded and run by OOMK. The small-scale publishing press is based at Old Manor Park Library and provides printing and book binding services for artists and community groups in Newham and beyond.
A responsive programme of workshops and events explore a contemporary model for community publishing, bringing together artists, designers, writers and local people. The press provides an opportunity for people to learn about Risograph printing and offers a space in which to work on creative projects.
Image: Kim Sacay Chin
Eleanor Burkett
Eleanor has been working from a studio in Old Manor Park Library for several years now. She uses textile, paper and print processes interchangeably in her work. They are often a contemporary response to techniques honed during three years living in Fukushima and Tokyo, Japan.
At the core of her practice is the hand-made and outcomes are process-led whether making paper, slashing and rolling paper ‘thread’, exploring script & print or shaping paper into three dimensional form. Robust, malleable or delicate, paper in all its forms is at the heart of Eleanor’s practice.
Leah Lovett
As a researcher in Connected Environments trained in social arts practices (PhD, Slade School of Art, 2019), Leah applies creative methods to interdisciplinary projects with academic collaborators and partners to address issues of social and environmental justice. Recent projects have explored using thermochromic materials to alert people to the risks of urban heatwaves, and weaving as a method to help economic theorists think differently about relationships to land and its collective development. A collaboration with Andy Hudson Smith, Tellus Mater (2023) compares AI language models to formal gardens, as powerful ways of imagining and representing the world.
Anita McCullough
As Anita works across various media, including double-exposure photography, woodblock printmaking and abstract painting, her output can be hard to pin down. She feels no need to restrict herself to any category and takes materials and visual stimuli as they come. Her inspiration is derived from the revelatory and the obscure. She makes acute observations in London’s reclaimed wilder spaces such as Barking Riverside, but also the City of London and little suburban gems such as Wanstead Community Gardens.
Aoife Steyaert-Hernon
Aoife is an east London born and based creative. After studying Printed Textiles and Surface Pattern Design at Leeds Arts University, Aoife has spent several years working within the fashion industry as a Stylist. Aoife strives to create slow thought out design that can be enjoyed beyond the trend and fashion seasonal cycles. Each piece is manufactured on a made to order basis, reducing waste and enabling the customer to provide valuable input.
Atelier Six Art
Atelier Six Art is a mixed media artist, whom is constantly exploring and experimenting with new materials to push the boundaries of their work. Her paintings reflect both the natural world and human experience, capturing the intricate beauty of nature alongside the depth of human emotion. Currently, they are working on a series called ‘The Female Journey,’ which will be part of the open studios. This series explores themes of female experience and identity, and the reproductive system, aiming to connect viewers with both internal landscapes and the natural world around us.
Bernie Clarkson
Bernie completed her painting degree and MA in 2012 after initially graduating in Fashion.
She has a daily practice of painting, drawing, research and planning, working on hand stretched canvas in oil paint.
Bernie’s work changes and develops as the work progresses and often follows a basic theme of figure in an abstracted landscape, exhibiting a quiet quality but with a frisson of tension. She particularly loves the work of the late American artist Richard Diebenkorn and often investigate both his figurative and abstracted work as part of her own research.
Chris Fite-Wassilak
writer, critic and editor, author of the book of essays The Ha-Ha Crystal (Copy Press, 2016), the book interviews with artists over 70 The Artist In Time (Bloomsbury, 2020), and a contributor to ArtReview, Art Monthly, e-flux criticism, and the artists catalogues of Silvia Bächli, Matt Calderwood, John Carson, Avril Coroon, Aki Sasamoto, Anne Tallentire, Edward Thomasson, and numerous others, with essays in the books The Microbiopolitics of Milk (Sternberg, 2023), The Politics of Food (Delfina Foundation, 2019), and Curating Research (Open Editions, 2014). Chris is currently writing a nonfiction book on cheese and hygiene.
Kate Mayer
Kate’s work is a deeply emotional response to her surroundings, often influenced by sound: ‘as a highly sensitive person, I am profoundly moved by words and melodies, channeling these emotions into my art.’ Though her outer world may feel chaotic, painting allows her to enter a flow state, transcending conscious thought. Through her work, Kate aims to guide others toward a deeper connection, encouraging them to feel present and inspired. Ultimately, Kate hopes her art helps people tap into a higher state of being, moving beyond the surface to discover new energies within themselves.
Nifra Noordeen
Four years ago, Nifra began her practice as a henna artist, transforming her clients into living canvases for their most important celebrations. Each intricate design draws inspiration from nature, traditional architecture, and garments. Alongside this, she has been exploring botanical art through both classic and modern methods. Recently, Nifra discovered a new passion for glass painting, where she continues to express her love for nature in a fresh and captivating way.
Uqdesign
Umi Qulatein is an East-London based artist. Her art features a blend of detailed henna design and intricate architecture design which can be seen together and within her art pieces.
Access Information
Old Manor Park Library has step-free access on the ground level, including to the accessible toilet. There is no wheelchair access to the first floor of the building. All workshops, the Coffee Press and opportunities for visiting studios will be available on the ground floor.
The event is service animal friendly. This venue does not have a hearing loop system.
Accessible parking is currently unavailable, and if required please contact our studios team for more information via property@bowarts.com.
If you have any questions regarding accessibility at this venue or event, would like to make us aware of any access requirements that you have in advance of visiting, or would like this information in an alternate format including Easy Read, please call 020 8980 7774 (Ext. 3).
Transport
Tube: Manor Park (Elizabeth Line)
Overground: Woodgrange Park
Bus: 25, 425, 474, 86, W19
Parking: No parking on site. Off-site parking can be found on Romford Road, Rabbits Road, The Warren and Michigan Avenue.
Bike: No Bike storage. Ground floor access will allow you to take your bike indoors.