Signs of The Times

About

Signs of the Times is a show that looks at present day shifts in contemporary society and explores themes such as inclusion and diversity, climate change and war and displacement. The artists questions are expressed via different materials and executions from sculpture to painting, printing, music and ceramics. This allows the viewer to interpret and challenge the artworks in their own personal way.  

Elena Cecchinato works across different mediums, primarily drawing, but also painting, automatic writing, print, installation, video, sound and live art. For Elena art is a way to explore and expose the contradictions and similarities within different cultural practices, a way to find unity in the fragmentation of life. Recently her focus has been on the themes of invisibility, transformation and abstractions. Her works have been shown internationally as well as in the Uk. The Museum of Everything has also featured Elena’s works, as part of its exhibition at The Tate Modern ‘No soul for sale’. She has shown Transpadovano at Palazzo Moroni, Padova, in Italy; Turf at Cutlog NY, USA; and has collaborated with the Roundabout.Lx Collective and the River of Thoughts Residency hosted by Olho du Boi, both in Lisbon, Portugal.

Ernesto Romano is an Italian artist living and working in London. He uses x-rays of his body in his artwork, which he transforms with bold colours and often embellish with gold leaf, glitter, spray paint or Swarovski crystals. All his work is very much colourful and shiny. He often uses symbols like crowns, including crown of thorns-religious symbols and jewels. Those symbols tend to identify a certain status or social position. On the other hand, the x-rays are free from any social connotation, prejudice or stereotype and often gender neutral and ambiguous and the most judgemental free angle from which a person can be looked at.  These X-rayed self-portraits convey a message of equality and universal values, of inclusion and diversity. He has exhibited nationally in UK and internationally and his work is collected worldwide.

Peter Mammes is a South African born artist from Johannesburg. Peter had his first solo exhibition at the age of 16 and has exhibited regularly since then. Peter has an interest in astronomy, history and natural science, and draws much of the inspiration for his artwork from a wide array of places; modern history and politics to ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, Indian patterns from temples and cremation pits, Soviet and Russian neo-classical patterns, and dead animals found in the Namibian deserts. Peter travels extensively to do research for his artwork, having lived and worked in many countries which has influenced his artwork in marked ways clearly visible in his artwork. Peter moved to London in 2018 on an exceptional talent visa, where he resides and works today. He collects antique medical instruments, artefacts and books. He designed a commemorative and circulation coin for the South African Mint in 2018.

Wendy Campbell-Briggs investigates the idea of collecting and collections, linking historic and contemporary practice. Using the simplicity of ceramic forms to express the fragility of our environment, she creates both one-off and sculptural pieces as well as artworks in series.  Campbell-Briggs aim is to make the work visually engaging whilst communicating an important environmental message about the consequences of global warming. We now understand this has the potential to cause extinctions in a majority of the world’s valuable ecosystems resulting in catastrophic species loss. As a metaphor for this loss Wendy uses lachrymatories, otherwise known as tear bottles, which were used during the Roman period to collect the tears of mourners. She has shown her ceramics extensively and was the winner of the judges’ choice Chaiya Awards and the West Midland Open.