Local artists from Kentish Town debuted their work in an exhibition held last weekend in Camden’s new socially-charged community and arts space, the Civic Action Hub.
The exhibition, entitled ‘From Kitchen Table to Gallery Wall‘, showcased the art – including paintings, mosaics, sculptures, tapestries, and poetry – of 75 local residents, artists, and community organisations across four days.
The curators of the event encouraged local people, often with little-to-no previous experience, to exhibit art that would otherwise go unseen, either created at home or for leisure within groups like the Castlehaven Community Association.
Mother-of-three and Camden resident, Yasmin Gordon, exhibited a vibrant painting of RnB musician Kelis, inspired by the ‘Acapella’ music video in which the singer explored how motherhood brought colour back into her life.
When asked why she chose to exhibit her art, Yasmin said: “Because I have lived here all my life and I have never done something like this.
“I have never had any piece of work out anywhere other than where I used to work.”
The event, which ran from 11-14 September, was held in the Kentish Town Civic Action Lab, an innovative new venue developed by Camden Council as a space for local people to host community events, exhibit art in its galleries, and test ideas and new ways of addressing local issues.
The walls of the venue were littered with post-it notes written by local people in response to question prompts asking their thoughts on the space and what they wished Kentish Town would look like in 2025.
It also hosts 17 fully funded studio spaces which local artists can apply to use for free each year.
James Barrow, a curator of the exhibition and council officer, said: “Providing space for free allows people the opportunity to try things differently and even fail at things.
“Camden has a huge artistic heritage, but spaces like galleries, workspaces, and studios are diminishing across London. So, it’s important for us as a council to find space where people can take risks and try things because there are many crises that affect local people, and we need to find innovative solutions to that.”
He added: “The exhibition has been well received locally, with 100 people attending on the opening night, 50 people on Friday and almost 100 people coming through this Saturday.
“There’s a real interest in what local people are making at home, which is exciting.”
Visitors were impressed by the calibre and diversity of the art on display, such as artist Cathy Peake’s arresting tapestry of the Ladies’ Pond at Hampstead Heath entitled ‘Waterside’.
Kentish Town resident, Harriet Craven, 80, said: “This is my second time visiting.
“I think it’s a lovely bit of well-hung wall space with interesting, diverse examples from amateur artists. What they’ve done with the venue is quite new and that’s what makes it so interesting.”
The Lab resides in 2 Prince of Wales Road, which was formerly the Camden Law Centre.
Rima Shenoy, a visitor from Islington, said: “Camden is so well known for its arts and creativity but when I came here a couple of years ago, it felt like it had lost itself a bit and become too commercial.
“So, it is nice to have something that feels grassroots. It’s funded by Camden Council, and this is where the money should be going.”
In a statement regarding the event, Camden Council told the North West Londoner: “The range and quality of work exhibited is a testament to the talent and creativity of Kentish Town and we hope to support local people with more opportunities like this in the future.”
Featured Image by Asha Birdi
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