We are thrilled to host the 'Emerging Artist Initiative' as part of this years Crystal Palace Artist Open House. This group exhibition will be on show on our mezzanine on the weekends of 28th & 29th Sep and 5th & 6th Oct including the week in between.
This Initiative is designed to support and nurture the next generation of creative talent. This program offers a comprehensive package for artists who are actively pursuing a career in art, whether through formal education or self-led study. Participants benefit from a waived application fee (sponsored by local businesses), the opportunity to showcase their work at the Paxton Center and a one-hour mentoring session with esteemed local professionals. In addition, emerging artists will participate in a special exhibition at West Norwood Picturehouse in 2025. This initiative underscores our commitment to fostering creativity and providing meaningful support to local artists as they grow and develop within our vibrant community.
Artists:
Natalie Cooper - Natalie is a self-taught, mixed-media visual artist and creative workshop leader. She uses watercolour, pen and digital elements to express dreams, the subconscious, the 'supernatural' and themes related to family and ancestry.
James Moore - Delving deep into the intricacies of perception and expression. Moore Colours is an artist and designer living and working in London.Delving deep into the intricacies of perception and expression, Moore uses their practice as conduit to articulate the multifaceted dimensions of reality. With an insatiable curiosity for the diverse manifestations of the world, they continued to be captivated by the myriad versions of truth that surrounds us.
Exploring various mediums and techniques, Moore Colours embraces the realms of visual art, illustration, and pop art with equal intensity. Beyond the canvas, their creative prowess extends to prop making and graphic design, infusing each endeavour with a distinctive flair and ingenuity.
Jonny Kemp - Portraiture and figure drawings in fine liner pen or oils. Jonny Kemp (b. 1990) lives in southeast London. He graduated from Leicester University with BA English, and worked as an English teacher until July 2023.
Alike to great literature, he thinks we should be able to see ourselves in painting and drawing. We might not like what we see, but it should be recognisable.
It is important for him to represent unheard or overlooked voices, the perspectives of repressed people, and those who are callously villified in the mainstream.
He's explored the importance of community through his ‘South Drawood’ exhibition, celebrating the people of his local area. He's sold his work at art fairs and online since summer 2021, and is a member of the SE20 Art Group and Croydon Art Society.
In 2023, he was a contestant on Sky Arts Portrait Artist of the Year. In 2024, he won the Lady Hamlyn Award at the Chelsea Art Society Summer Exhibition for his portrait of the author Sussie Anie.