For a few days this coming September, Broadleaf Books in Abergavenny will host a group exhibition ‘FOOD’, bringing together works by contemporary visual artists from Wales and across the U.K.
Abergavenny-based artists Melissa Appleton and Edwin Burdis are working with Broadleaf Books owner, Joanna Chambers, to curate the exhibition in the intimate setting of the bookshop during the forthcoming Abergavenny Food Festival 2015. The exhibition will present a diverse and playful selection of works including painting, sculpture, print and sound, exploring our complex relationship to food, its production and consumption.
Artists featured in the exhibition include Sean Edwards, based in Abergavenny, who has exhibited widely across the U.K. and Europe and won the Gold Medal in Visual Arts at the 2014 National Eisteddfod; Bedwyr Williams, who lives and works in Caernarfon and represented Wales at the 55th Biennale di Venezia 2013; Clare Woods, based in Herefordshire, who, as well as exhibiting extensively across Europe, completed a major commission for the Olympic Park, London in 2012; Mark Leckey, recipient of the Turner Prize 2008; and Turkish Cypriot artist Mustafa Hulusi, who lives and works between London and Cyprus. Other artists in the exhibition include Katherine Gardener, S Mark Gubb, Andy Holden, Rosy Head, Heather Phillipson, Natasha Rees and Tom Woolner. Works range from a pickle-jar cast in the likeness of the artist’s (Bedwyr Williams’) head to sumptuous idealised images of fruit by Mustafa Hulusi from his native Cyprus (pictured here).
The small-scale works will be installed in the main room at the Broadleaf Books amongst the eclectic selection of titles, creating compositions between the works on display and the books that inhabit the shelves. A limited edition publication will be available to accompany the exhibition, bringing together works in the show with a diverse selection of texts chosen by the organisers.
Joanna and Melissa met through a shared interest in the work of Jeff Nuttall, a prolific artist, writer, teacher and musician who grew up in the Welsh Marches and lived for the later years of his life in Abergavenny and Crickhowell. They are currently working on a project to celebrate Jeff’s work and life through a series of artist residencies and an exhibition, forthcoming in 2016/17, as well as future projects in the bookshop.
FOOD runs from 18 – 20th September 2015 as an Abergavenny Food Festival Fringe Event and is open daily 10am – 5pm. There is a private view on Friday 18th, 6-8pm. All are welcome but please RSVP to food.abergavenny@gmail.com as space in the bookshop is limited.
For further information visit: www.broadleafbookshop.co.uk/news.php
