Rain on Me

About

This exhibition touches on themes of isolation, hope, and despair, as two artists process their personal growth through art. This exhibition is funded by ‘Rain on Me’, a non-profit community-based initiative that provides mental health support to young adults.

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Both artists explore the dynamic nature of the self, working against its elusive tendencies to depict its ever-evolving layers. The exhibition juxtaposes optimism and despair in an attempt to visualise our own oscillating journeys to self-discovery. As these fragmented pieces of identity interact, tensions emerge. The sense of isolation is undercut by a determination to belong, as both artists search for somewhere to feel at home.

Created during some of their darkest moments, the pieces serve as a looking glass through which each artist can face their repressed selves with renewed strength. Didactic text pieces offer hope, while impulsive sketches shed light on the darker moments we would prefer to forget.

This exhibition is on view from the 6th – 11th June 2023, open 10am - 6pm daily.

Events include:

Opening Night: 6th June, 6pm – 8.30pm (free, complimentary drinks)

Spoken Word: 10th June, 6pm – 8.30pm (£8, complimentary drinks)

Therapeutic Art Workshop: 11th June, 3pm – 4pm (free)

The Artists

Marilyn Esther Chi

Marilyn’s digital drawings are reincarnated physically for this exhibition, depicting the lonely figures that emerged from her psyche during therapy sessions. Hope is offered in a collection of thirteen acrylic ‘Dandelion’ paintings, while intrusive thoughts come to life in the ‘Black & White’ sketches. The selection includes dream-like landscapes, poetry pieces and tender domestic settings scattered with contemporary motifs.

C.E.J.

C.E.J.’s collages gather fragments of life, utilising receipts, scrap fabrics, stitches, beads, and found objects to communicate emotional honesty. Pieces of text and snippets of imagery work both in tension and harmony, building layers that represent the complex and disparate fragments that constitute our identities.

C.E.J.’s zine, which will also be on display for the exhibition, was born of a poem written on the back of a LEON bag. The collection aims to challenge the notion that we can return to our past selves, instead asserting that we can only – and must – build a new identity.

About the non-profit:

Founded by Deepanshi Gulati in 2018 at the tender age of 22, Rain on Me is a community-based initiative that provides mental health support in the form of free peer groups. The charity offers a safe space where young adults can vent their hardships and feel empowered to grow and take charge of their lives. Led by individuals with lived experience, Rain on Me is built to bring like-minded people together to overcome their obstacles.