London, UK – On September 29th the Saatchi Gallery will open a new exhibition, Altered States in the Prints & Originals Gallery. Curated by Olly Walker, the exhibition showcases works by eight urban contemporary artists based in the UK.
The eight artists featured in Altered States are: D.A.N.T.E., David Shillinglaw, Florence Blanchard, Kid Acne, Lily Mixe, Skeleton Cardboard, Sr.X and Victoria Villasana.
By its nature art concerns transition and transformation. Ideas and emotions transform from impulses to physical images. Substances are transformed when rendered on surfaces, liquids become solids and colours merge. Similarly, artists find themselves living within a society that is constantly changing and presenting them with new challenges and opportunities.
The UK is home to a community of diverse artists. Some were borne in the UK and others were drawn to it; but all continue to explore artistic ideas as the nation evolves. Altered States showcases the output of a selection of British-based urban contemporary artists working today.
Brief Biographies of the Artists
D.A.N.T.E. was born in Glastonbury, Somerset, UK and currently lives & works in London. Inspired by Basquiat and Haring, the artist creates free-flowing and expressive works reflecting upon contemporary urban life.
David Shillinglaw is an artist whose work includes a variety of disciplines, ranging from small drawings and hand-made books, paintings on canvas, and large-scale wall murals and installation. The artist graduated from Central Saint Martins, London in 2002 and has exhibited internationally. He lives and works in London.
Florence Blanchard is a French painter, muralist and screen-printer based in the UK. Blanchard spent 10 years in New York where she graduated with a PHD from New York University. Her training as a scientist, as well as her earlier experiences writing graffiti under the moniker Ema, inform her abstract creations.
Kid Acne is an artist, illustrator, print-maker and emcee. A retrospective of his work was exhibited at Museums Sheffield in 2011 and his work has featured in numerous publications. The artist has exhibited internationally and his work has been utilised by leading brands. The artists lives and works in Sheffield, UK.
Lily Mixe is an artist originating from Paris who is currently based in London. The artist creates detailed and carefully rendered works on found objects. Her works illustrate a love of nature and a deep concern for the environment that surrounds the artist and us all.
Skeleton Cardboard studied Graphic Design at Camberwell College of Art. The artist was particularly inspired by a trip to Mexico City and later left paintings of skeletons on scraps of cardboard for people to discover on the streets of London. The artists lives and works in east London.Sr. X is a Spanish street artist now based in London. The artist continues to produce works on the street and in his studio using techniques including stencils, collage, oil and acrylic painting.
Victoria Villasana has spent her life living in either Mexico or London. Both cultures have inspired her work. Her trademark pieces are portraits embellished with yarn. The artist often pasted these up on the streets of London.
About the Curator
Olly Walker, the founder of Ollystudio, has cultivated a reputation for curating strong shows and artistic collaborations for a range of clients. In addition to the curation of a number of high profile gallery shows in London and Berlin, Olly has collaborated with brands such as Levi’s Vintage Clothing, Converse, Orange and artists like Vhils, JR, Nick Walker, Paul Insect, Ben Turnbull, Mode 2, Ben Eine, D-Face, WK Interact and Alexander McQueen. Ollystudio has designed books for some of the best artists in the world and worked with influential galleries such as Saatchi Gallery, Urban Nation and Lazarides.
About the Saatchi Gallery
The Saatchi Gallery was founded in 1985 with the aim of bringing contemporary art to as wide an audience as possible and make it accessible by providing an innovative platform for emerging artists to show their work. Over the last five years the Saatchi Gallery has hosted ten out of the top 15 most visited exhibitions in London, according to The Art Newspaper’s survey of international museum attendance, and is also ranked amongst the world’s top five most liked museums on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Google+. Entry to all the Saatchi Gallery’s exhibitions is free. www.saatchigallery.com
