‘In Colour’ Exhibition at Haricot Gallery, Shoreditch
Constance Read. Left to right: ‘Butterfinger in Green and Cream’, ‘Golden Button in Caramel and Pink’ and ‘Katkit in Black and Red’ (All 2024, Silkscreen Ink on Linen).
Last week, I spent some time searching for an exhibition to visit, in the hope that I might come across one related to colour in some way. Sure enough, there was an exhibition all about colour right down the road from me, at a gallery I hadn’t visited before. Haricot Gallery is quietly tucked away from Old Street, down a tiny side street that you might miss if you weren’t paying attention. Fortunately, the exterior is painted an incredible green colour, which makes it pretty hard to miss the gallery itself!
‘In Colour’ is a group exhibition that features works by Manon Steyaert, Bobby Dowler, Constance Read, Sebastian Supanz and Jonathan Mcree. It’s a small space, but this exhibition packs a punch and, true to it’s name, is full of colour.
Detail of Manon Steyaert’s ‘Outside The Window’, 2024 (Silicone and Pigment)
Jonathan McCree ‘Small Pink Fancy, 29 January 2023’
“The process of creating art is multi-faceted, it’s a delicate dance between inspiration and introspection, where the artist navigates this labyrinth of creativity. ‘In Colour’ serves to uncover one aspect of this process, their relationship with colour.”
Something about the work, and the way the exhibition has been curated, made me really want to spend time in the space, looking and re-looking. I hadn’t read the information booklet first before looking around, so I was interested to discover that the two artist’s whose work I felt especially drawn to, both share a lot of themselves in their work and also reference their childhood. Without knowing anything about them or their practise, both Sebastian Supanz and Jonathan McCree had cast my mind back to my own childhood, through a sense of play, at times nostalgia which radiates from their work.
View from stairway through to Jonathan McCree’s ‘Red Circle, Yellow Square’, 2023
Sebastian Supanz ‘You and I’, 2023
“Sebastian Supanz’s relationship with colour is deeply rooted in personal nostalgia and a natural affinity for vibrant hues. His attraction to bold colours stems from childhood memories and trying to capture the innocence and beauty of his youth.”
“[Jonathan McCree’s] longing for escape, both in childhood and now, manifests in a visual realm free from verbal constraints. Memories play a significant role in his practice, influencing colour choices and their relationships, He acknowledges that these memories might be abstract, rooted more in emotions and desires rather than specific narratives.”
Although I was especially drawn to those artists in particular, I actually found myself pretty engaged with all of the work. Another highlight for me was Manon Steyeart.
“For Manon, colour is one of the main forces in her practice, especially when it comes to drawing in the audience. She recognises how colours can arouse interest and delight, drawing the eye and bringing life to objects and environments alike. Colour, in Manon’s opinion, unifies the painting to the sculpture and is essential to drawing viewer’s attention to the work in the gallery.”
I can very much relate to this approach to using colour, as it’s in tandem with my own relationship with colour and the ways I choose to use it in my work.
I would highly recommend popping into this exhibition if it sparks your interest. It had a big impact on me. It left me feeling energised, full of of ideas, and gently offered me an invaluable opportunity to reconnect with my own relationship to colour.
If you do visit, you’ll also be very close to some great coffee spots which I’ve linked below, along with the gallery details.
‘In Colour’ is on at Haricot Gallery until 6th April.
Find it: 2 Blackall St, London EC2A 4AD
All quotes used were found in the exhibition press release, available to read here.
Manon Steyaert ‘Outside The Window’, 2024 (Silicone and Pigment)