Shema Ladva-Portraits from Sainsbury's••

The Mosaic Rooms presents Shema Ladva’s, Portraits from Sainsbury’s. Inspired by David Hockney’s portraits of invigilating staff at the National Gallery in London, Ladva embarked on this project as a way of paying homage to her co-workers at Sainsbury’s.

Ladva started working at Sainsbury’s when she was just seventeen. The uniform saw her through two decades, supporting the different stages of her education and artistic career. In appreciation of her night shift colleagues, she decided to make these highly original portraits of her fellow uniform wearers, in homage to their highly individual qualities. Over thirty of them agreed to participate.

The portraits engage in a larger conversation about giving acknowledgment to those working in the low-paid labour market. As Ladva says “whether working on a till, serving fast food, filling supermarket shelves, cleaning floors, streets or cars, these people keep our communities running.” This portrait series is an attempt to make them visible, and give them public recognition.

Through this series of paintings Ladva also hopes to attract an audience who would not typically go to an art gallery. The portraits feature staff from the flagship Sainsbury’s on the Cromwell Road, a few hundred metres from The Mosaic Rooms. It is hoped that this will not only ensure that the exhibition is accessible to them, but in turn make the idea of visiting an art gallery more approachable, to a wider community.

Born in 1970 in West London, Ladva’s work is concerned with the idea of community. Through her practise she aims to present people in everyday situations, outside of associated social preconceptions. Her subjects have included the Indian community in West London, London’s homeless population and Europe’s largest street carnival in Notting Hill.

Ladva graduated from the University of Westminster in 2000 with a BA Hons in Illustration. Her practise is informed by this training and is influenced by street, graffiti and graphic art and their accessibility to contemporary audiences.

The artist will be discussing her work on Wednesday 10th November from 6.30pm, RSVP info@mosaicrooms.org

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